Touchstone Center for Crafts is a unique three-seasons craft school located 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in the beautiful mountains of the Laurel Highlands, near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, Ohiopyle State Park, and Nemacolin Resort. Founded in 1972 as Pioneer Crafts Council, Touchstone's original mission was to foster interest in the preservation of traditional crafts. Today, this unique craft school has expanded to include contemporary and experimental techniques in disciplines such as blacksmithing, ceramics, metals & jewelry, glass, drawing & painting, and special topic areas. As Pennsylvania's premier craft school, Touchstone offers beginning and seasoned artists one- to five-day workshops taught by some of North America's finest artisans.
Mission Statement: Touchstone Center for Crafts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance excellence in the arts and crafts by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative expression.
To learn more about Touchstone, visit www.touchstonecrafts.org.
Donations to Touchstone Center for Crafts are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. EIN # 23-7258132
In honor of the organization's first 50 years, Touchstone celebrates its past, present, and future with a $1.5 million Anniversary Campaign to renew and enhance its creative environment, increase local and regional impact, and contribute to the future of the field as well as Touchstone's sustainability. Our 50th Anniversary Gala and coinciding special exhibition, Touchstone: A Half-Century of Craft, are a "culmination celebration" of the milestone. Proceeds of the auction support the exciting future that lies ahead. The next 50 years depends on the generosity of our community today.
Touchstone: A Half-Century of Craft works are on display at the Speyer Gallery at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and will remain on location through December 31, 2022. These works were created by six Touchstone artists who were selected to participate in a special residency at Fallingwater. The artists were provided access to use Fallingwater and its collection as a point of departure to create a unique piece of art to be used to as a fundraiser commemorating Touchstone's 50th anniversary. Artists were directed not to attempt to replicate existing pieces in the Fallingwater collection but rather to consider how the surrounding landscape inspired Frank Lloyd Wright, the Kaufmann family, and how the house has continued to inspire visitors from around the world. All works created were inspired by Fallingwater through participation in the special exhibition. Participating artists include Jo Campbell-Amsler, Kevin Crowe, Glenn Horr, Nicholas Ireys, Robin Menard, and Yoko Sekino-Bové.