Curator Alyssa Velazquez grew up with theater as her first form of community—a foundation that continues to shape her curatorial work. Her current exhibition at Center for Craft, Craft-itarianism: Community Action Through Craft, explores how craft can add joy, distribute resources, and foster community among at-risk and marginalized people. Velazquez brings a unique interdisciplinary approach to her curatorial practice at Carnegie Museum of Art, pulling from past work in art preservation, acting, and scenic design. Alyssa teaches us that the act of making can form resource generation within communities that need life-affirming support, and that craft methodologies—from job training to art therapy to social enterprise—can be applied to create meaningful social change.
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What’s the best advice that you’ve ever gotten?
In a professional development workshop on navigating contracts through the Dramatists Guild, Emmanuel Wilson said, “if you say yes to everything, your nos mean nothing.” And that particular piece of advice is not something that I’ve clung on to because I think I do it particularly well, but quite the opposite. It’s stuck with me in every facet of my creative career as something that I aspire to, knowing that scarcity mindset, especially within the arts, is a powerful motivator and in the worst case scenarios, manipulator.
What’s your current favorite tool or material to work with?
I will admit I’ve succumbed to the digital gadgets of the anthropocene, and my most frequently utilized tool at the moment is my notes app. Its tagline on the Apple store is, “take notes of almost anything,” and it’s true; I do. I even have an entire thread titled “graveyard,” and it’s where I put all my sleeper ideas or deleted thoughts from other pieces of writing with the hopes of them going into a future exhibition, essay, or play.
What books are on your nightstand?
It’s a little bit idiosyncratic but,
Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels by Ellen Ruppel Shell
An interesting deep dive into the importance and enigma of eels in the natural world.
2.5 Minute Ride and 101 humiliating stories by Lisa Kron
Two pieces of solo work by an artist balancing humor and horror.
Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg
The story of a woman who decides to livestream her life for seven days, gaining followers through spicy-food challenges to raise money for her sister’s medical treatments.
This Elegance by Derrick Austin
Austin’s newest meditation on Black love, beauty, and artistry by a writer that I’m looking forward to collaborating with on the forthcoming exhibition, Skin Tight.
Diary of Proletarian Seamstress by Victoria Guerrero-Peirano and translated by Anastatia Spicer & Honora Spicer
An investigation of textile lineages by a Peruvian poet published through Cardboard House Press, a nonprofit that publishes Latin American and Spanish poetry in translation, made by hand in community-based workshops.
Favorite restaurant in your city?
In true Libra fashion, I have two foodie sides: the seasonal menu with speciality cocktails experience and the basket of buffalo wings and draught beer combo. Lucky for me, Pittsburgh offers both of those dining experiences. A few that come to mind are: The Squirrel Hill Cafe in Squirrel Hill, Fet Fisk in Bloomfield, Dish on the Southside, and Monterey Pub in the Mexican War Streets.
Who do you look up to and why?
Over the past few months, working on Craft-itarianism: Community Action through Craft, I’ve been in awe of the phenomenal creative powers of these collectives of migrants, artists, students, workshop participants, co-workers, and instructors. Specifically, Pearl Dick at Firebird Community Arts, Dr. Tiffany Momon with Black Craftspeople Digital Archive, the dynamic duo that is Ilka and Dominique Perkins from People’s Pottery Project, Tanya Aguiñiga and Natalie Godinez with the AMBOS Project, artist Maggie Thompson, and Samantha Mitchell at Center for Creative Works.
I think one of the many reasons I curated Craft-itarianism is because so many of my family and friends have always modeled for me a world in which collective action, and the many forms it takes in building and shaping our lives, is at its core an expression of solidarity, which is just another word for love.
What are the last five songs you’ve listened to?
“No One Noticed” by The Marías
“Chains of Love” by Charli xcx
Also, “It’s a good day (to fight the system)” by Shungudzo and “Cut to the Feeling” by Carly Rae Jepsen, both of which are on a playlist I curated that reflect the themes of craft-itarianism.
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