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Equity Initiatives

We believe that equity is critical to the long-term viability of the field of craft and that we must hold ourselves accountable for removing inequities and working in partnership to make lasting change. Haystack is taking actionable steps towards these goals by refining our mission and values, establishing five-year goals and a ten-year vision, and adopting a Strategic Plan that places equity at the core of our work. This is intentional and ongoing work that drives new initiatives, builds scholarships and fellowships and guides programming, staff and board development. The Haystack staff and board are deeply committed to this ongoing work.

 

Highlights of recent steps we have taken

  • Increasing scholarship support by eliminating work-study requirements and providing a stipend to 100% of scholarship recipients

  • Implementing a three-year increase in faculty compensation which results in a 50% increase in salaries for teaching faculty across all programs

  • Undertaking a comprehensive campus planning process to envision the next chapter in the School’s history, with a focus on accessibility, housing equity, and sustainability

  • Collaborated with Indigo Arts Alliance to reimagine the 2022 summer conference as a gathering designed exclusively for artists from Black and Native American backgrounds

  • Established a new 2022 partnership with Crafting for the Future (CTF) to support the careers of young, underrepresented artists by connecting them to opportunities that will help them thrive

  • Adding dedicated Fellowships for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students inclusive of tuition, room, and board, plus a stipend 

  • Continuing our partnerships with Artaxis by providing two Fellowships intended to increase diversity, equity, and access in the ceramic arts, with the explicit goal of adding unique perspectives across the field

  • Continuing our ongoing partnership with the Office of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Columbia College Chicago. This multi-year collaboration has been designed specifically for students of color, providing fully funded fellowships with stipends to a cohort of three to four students each year

  • Continuing our ongoing partnership with the Wood and Furniture Design Program at San Diego State University to provide fellowships supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds who have been historically underrepresented in the field