HERALDING: Sixty-Five Plus Artists from the Forrest L. Merrill Collection is curated as part of the Craft in America nationwide initiative, HANDWORK: Celebrating American Craft 2026. This year-long series of exhibitions across America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the United States by honoring the rich tradition of American craftsmanship through exhibitions, catalogs, film screenings, panel discussions, and technical demonstrations in all 50 states during 2026.

HANDWORK: Celebrating American Craft 2026 is a year-long collaboration among institutions, educators, and makers to celebrate the diversity of crafts that define America. The initiative brings compelling stories and underrepresented art and artists into the spotlight, heralding the importance of handmade art throughout America's history and contemporary life.

This Fresno Art Museum exhibition, with selections from the Collection of Forrest L. Merrill of Berkeley, California, fulfills the illuminating purpose of HANDWORK 2026, cementing the premise that craft is universal. Craft is an essential visual voice of tradition and cultural practice. The handmade connects us through history and over time.

Throughout 2025, FAM Executive Director and Chief Curator Michele Ellis Pracy has selected over 140 pieces from Merrill's vast collection of American craft. All media are represented including clay, metal, glass, fiber, wood, and mixed media. The artists are primarily based in California and are either under-represented or the recipients of some artworld exposure. A catalog will accompany this original exhibition.