Artisan has designs on a big, bold world from its new home
A champion of craft and design across Queensland, Artisan’s move to the State Library will enhance its reach across the state and internationally.
Craft and design are sometimes overlooked in the glitzy world of the visual arts. So, thank god for Artisan, the state’s peak body for craft and design – as the good news is that the organisation is relocating to the State Library of Queensland, which will now become the creative hub for Queensland’s craft and design community through an exciting new cultural partnership.
And while Artisan will now be headquartered at the State Library, it will be collaborating across Queensland to further support emerging, developing and established talent.
The partnership brings together the strengths of one of the state’s most influential cultural institutions and a leading contemporary craft organisation, unlocking new opportunities for collaboration, professional development and sector-wide impact.
Artisan is appreciated across the state and, as arts philanthropist Tim Fairfax points out, it is “the only organisation representing Queensland craftspeople nationally and internationally”. “They maintain direct connection with makers whilst advocating in national arenas,” says Fairax.
As a cultural social enterprise, Artisan champions Queensland craft and design talent to national and international prominence while building sustainable career pathways for practitioners. The partnership provides a powerful platform for the state’s makers to share their creativity at the heart of the Queensland Cultural Centre.
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More than 1.6 million people visit the State Library each year to learn, create, connect and be inspired. Artisan joins the diverse community of makers, designers, artists, technologists, writers and other creatives who collaborate and share knowledge at the State Library.
The collaboration also leverages the State Library’s partnership with Queensland’s public library network to extend craft engagement to more than 325 communities.
Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek says the State Government is providing Artisan funding of more than $1 million over the next four years to support its operations and programs and back the growth of new product development and strengthen supply chains for arts and crafts practitioners in Queensland.
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“This collaboration … will support and showcase the work of makers across the state, enhance their careers and increase their access to new audiences and markets,” Langbroek says.
State Librarian and CEO Vicki McDonald welcomes the move.
“Just as makers tell a story through design, the State Library tells the stories of Queensland through our extensive collections and cultural experiences,” she says. “State Library is known for our statewide focus on digital innovation and inclusion. We are equally committed to handcrafted creativity and design, which are central to our programs. They foster wellbeing and provide motivation for communities to come together to share knowledge, skills and stories.”
Artisan CEO Carmel Haugh points out that “every handmade object carries a story, a philosophy, a maker’s imprint”.
“Together, Artisan and State Library can make sure those stories reach the audiences and opportunities they deserve,” Haugh says. “Our partnership with State Library of Queensland means we’re building a more sustainable, connected and ambitious platform for makers – precisely because the sector needs us to.”
Artisan will conduct seminars, masterclasses, talks and workshops at State Library, creating new opportunities for learning, exchange and creative development. It will collaborate with regional partners to present exhibitions, residencies, markets and pop-ups, alongside professional development initiatives, and career opportunities for makers across Queensland.
Artisan will also host craft and design practitioners and leaders from across Australia for a cross-sector symposium, MADE2026, at State Library in September and will establish a curated presence in the Library Shop, showcasing outstanding Queensland contemporary craft and design.
State Library of Queensland and Artisan are supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
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