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Craft Unbound has been posting for four years now. To celebrate, here’s a view from the clouds:

Last Monday night the members of Craft Victoria (including myself) voted to adopt a new constitution. The major changes to the Board composition include:

• a minimum of two craft industry professionals (previously it was five professional members)
• members no longer nominate board members from their ranks
• President does not need to be a craftsperson

It’s a significant change for the organisation and it did not pass without heated debate. Some felt it was a diminution of member’s power which could lead to a more corporate direction for the organisation (a focus on avoiding risk rather than advancing the field). The Board presented the change as a responsibility of governance in the face of increasing legal responsibilities.

In the end, it is hoped that the Board will be able to use this power to help the organisation keep on track. Craft Victoria has a great reputation for not only putting new ideas into the cultural mix, but also maintaining a long-term commitment to the enduring value of craft. While credit for this is partly due to people at the top, it is very much due to those dedicated members whose belief and commitment have inspired future possibilities.

While we wait with interest to see what how Board engages with future challenges, members should stay actively involved in the organisation. The possibility was noted that there might be an annual forum where the direction of Craft Victoria could be discussed with members. Let’s ensure that something like this happens.

Due to a ‘server migration’, the kitezh.com website has been down for the past couple of days. It should be up again by tomorrow morning, 31/1. If you’ve sent any email to me during this time, it may be worth re-sending it as it may have slipped through the cracks.

After nearly eight years at Craft Victoria, I am now experiencing the incredible lightness of being without a small arts organisation. It’s been a very moving week, with an astounding Fresh exhibition, a flood of kind messages and a very warm gathering on Saturday to reflect back on what’s been happening in craft so far this century.

With the newly-won benefit of hindsight, it seemed that running an organisation like Craft Victoria was a matter of balancing between the professional development and wider engagement with culture. The concept of home seemed the simplest metaphor. It’s important to separate ourselves off from the world to find comfort and security. But this separation can become a fortress if we don’t open the door occasionally to the outside world.

Since 2000, we’ve had a number of high quality exhibitions that demonstrated the modernist endeavours of individual makers. But complementing that were initiatives like the Scarf Festival and South Project made contact with new audiences here and overseas. We’ve provided all the benefits of a club, but tried to ensure that the membership is diverse as possible.

Keeping modernism and humanism in play is a tricky balancing act. And after eight years, it gets increasingly hard to keep the balls in the air. Our managerial culture is always going to make it difficult for humanist energies.

So I’m going to take a little rest and go back to own craft, writing. Time to find a new home.