Carol Sauvion, Executive Director of Craft in America, To Retire at the End of 2025, After 21 Years of Leadership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2025
[Los Angeles] – Craft in America announced today that Carol Sauvion, the institution’s Executive Director, will retire from the organization at the end of December 2025. Sauvion’s retirement comes after 21 years of leadership, and follows the launch of Craft in America’s initiative for the national semiquincentennial, Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, which will take place November 13-14, 2025, in Philadelphia.
Sauvion said, “At the end of December 2025, I will leave the Executive Director position to the new Co-Executive Directors, Robyn Hollingshead and Ann Ruhr Pifer, both members of the Craft in America Board and both experienced, dedicated craft professionals. With Ann and Robyn, my work and my passion will be woven into their vision for the future of the crafts. We have been working on this transition, set to happen on New Year’s Day 2026, for several months.”
Board President Robyn Hollingshead shares, “Carol’s realization, many decades ago, that craft is all around us hiding in plain sight, moved her to create an organization that could expose communities across the country to the magnificent world of original hand-crafted works and the living artists who make them. Her steadfast dedication to studio craft, her sincere reverence for craft artists of all backgrounds, her high standards for excellence, her sincerity, authenticity, and enthusiasm, and her clear vision for Craft in America has eloquently shined a bright light on craft across America. We are deeply grateful to Carol for this extraordinary gift she has given the nation.”
Director & Executive Producer of the Craft in America series, Patricia Bischetti states, “Carol Sauvion is the visionary behind Craft in America. Her inspiration to explore the handmade on PBS has blossomed into a movement driven by the fundamental truth that the handmade is essential in our cultures and our humanity. Carol’s continuing commitment to the crafts, our artists, and our project has had a huge impact in the field and on many lives.”
Board Member Cornelia Carey observes, ”Carol has been the vision and the glue for the work of Craft in America since 2004. Her drive comes from her passion and respect for artists who transform materials into objects of beauty at the highest level. I shudder to think of all of the artists’ voices I would not have known had it not been for Craft in America bringing them to life.”
About Carol Sauvion
Carol Sauvion grew up in Philadelphia, PA, and is a craftsperson herself. As a potter, she would spend 12-hour days at the wheel, giving her a deep understanding of the skill required to master a craft. She learned under the mentorship of artist Toshi Seeger, who gave Sauvion her start in the crafts. She sold her work at galleries and craft shows for years, but eventually came to realize that her true calling was promoting craft and the work of other artists.
Sauvion opened Freehand Gallery, a fine craft shop, located in the heart of Los Angeles in the West 3rd Street district, in 1980. In 1996, after 16 years of selling the finest contemporary craft to local customers at Freehand, Sauvion noticed that craft was still an underrecognized art form. She felt the best way to remedy this was to put craft on television. She created the Craft in America series, and after years of planning, the first episode aired on PBS in 2007, receiving the Peabody Award. As of 2025, the series has produced 35 episodes, taking viewers on intriguing and often emotional journeys through the lives, histories, and processes of American craft artists. The series is a celebration of the handmade and its significant impact.
Sauvion currently oversees Freehand Gallery, the Craft in America series, and the Craft in America Center — a space for exhibitions, events, and education. Since the pandemic, craft has seen a resurgence, with makers of all levels creating everything from masks to quilts to furniture. Sauvion has spent much of her life promoting and documenting craft, and now it seems that craft is more important than ever. It is a uniting force in a time of division and a meditative activity in a time of increased anxiety.
“Whatever happens, the handmade endures.” – Carol Sauvion
About Robyn Hollingshead
Robyn Hollingshead, former Managing Program Director for the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, will join our organization after a career in nonprofit management and philanthropy. She brings a wealth of knowledge about traditional and folk arts to our organization, as well as an understanding of the workings of nonprofits, specifically in the arts and media. She has also served on the staffs of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Friends of Hospital Albert Schweitzer, Haiti (a Mellon family project), and the Joseph Drown Foundation. Her personal artistic interest is in painting, and she will continue her lifelong involvement in pursuing this medium. Robyn’s background in the arts, experience in philanthropy, and strong administrative skills will ensure that Craft in America’s mission is supported and carried out.
About Anne Ruhr Pifer
Ann Pifer will come to Craft in America, where she has been the treasurer of our board for many years, from her position as Executive Director of AdoptAClassroom.org. There, she led a successful turnaround of the organization, more than tripling its revenues and its impact for teachers and students. Prior to her position at AdoptAClassroom.org, Ann had a 15-year career in corporate banking and then owned and operated The Grand Hand Gallery in St. Paul, Minnesota, representing craft artists from across the country. She has served on the boards of Craft Retailers and Artists for Tomorrow (CRAFT) and the Minnesota Museum of American Art. We are fortunate to have Ann’s administrative and financial skills, along with her dedication to the handmade.
PRESS CONTACT
Lauren Over
Communications Coordinator
Craft in America
press@craftinamerica.org
ABOUT CRAFT IN AMERICA
Craft in America is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit arts organization founded in 2004 with the mission to promote and advance original handcrafted work through programs in all media. The Peabody Award-winning, Emmy-nominated Craft in America documentary series first aired nationally on PBS in 2007 and has produced 35 hour-long episodes to date. These programs are filled with artists, techniques, and stories from diverse cultures, blending history with living practice.
Our Mission
To promote and advance original handcrafted work through programs in all media
Our Goals
To document the importance of handmade objects and the artists who make them
To provide a gateway to discover, explore, and experience craft
To celebrate our nation’s cultures through craft