Black Artists+Designers Guild

Learning never stops. Creative educational development is at the heart of BADG — creating space for makers to continue their journey. Haystack Mountain School of Craft (@haystack_school ) has been a proud supporter of #BADGEducation, providing opportunities for Black artists and designers attending their Open Studio Residency and Summer workshops.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ We are happy to announce that Kailyn Bryant @kailyn.bryant , Tajah Ellis @outofseam_ , Sean Desiree @seandesireestudio and Shamira Wilson @shamirawilson will attend Haystack this summer! Congratulations! We can’t wait to see how this time in Maine will shape your practice and contributions to Black cultural archiving. #BADGMakers #HaystackMountainSchoolofCraft

APPLY NOW: Our BADG x Haystack Fellowship program is now open to Black-identifying creatives! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This BADG Education initiative allows creatives to expand their studio practice by exploring different media and experimenting with new ideas at the Haystack Mountain School of Craft @haystack_school in Deer Isle, Maine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Fellowship program is open to artists, designers, and makers at all levels and disciplines. BADG board will select two individuals to attend the fully funded Haystack Open Studio Residency which includes tuition, room and board, and a $500 stipend. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To learn more and apply, complete the form in the bio link 🔗 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Application Deadline is November 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST Recipients will be notified in early December 2025. Quote from past recipient: “My time at Haystack was more illuminating than I ever expected. Not only did I meet some incredible artists from across the world, some of whom I’m proud to now call friends, I got to experience the magic of unfettered artistic endeavor. Being able to simply focus on learning a new craft has empowered me to recreate the Haystack experience at home — including the impeccable food!” -Sherrod Faulks @deepblack.shop

🚨 Now Open: The Creative Futures Grant! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We are excited to announce that the Creative Futures Grant is now open for applications! This opportunity is exclusively for Black graduate students studying craft disciplines at U.S.-based colleges and universities. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The grant offers a $5,000 award to support your vision and elevate the rich traditions, innovations, and practices of #BlackMakers—voices that have often been left out of the global craft conversation. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🖤 Whether your focus is in textiles, ceramics, wood, metal, or another craft field, this is your moment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🙏 This grant is funded by the Maxwell Hanrahan Foundation—thank you for championing Black creativity in craft! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📣 Help us spread the word! Tag a Black graduate student craftsperson who should apply. Let’s ensure this opportunity reaches every corner of our community. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📍 To learn more and apply, visit 🔗 Link in bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #BADGUILD #CreativeFuturesGrant #BlackCraftMatters #CraftGrants #BADGEducation #CraftMakers #SupportBlackMakers #BlackCreatives #GradSchoolGrind

APPLY NOW: Our BADG x Haystack Summer Workshop program is now open to Black-identifying creatives! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This BADG Education initiative allows creatives to expand their studio practice by exploring different media and experimenting with new ideas at the Haystack Mountain School of Craft @haystack_school in Deer Isle, Maine. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Summer Workshops are open to artists, designers, and makers at all levels and disciplines. BADG board will select two individuals to attend the fully funded Haystack Summer Workshop which includes tuition, room and board, and a $500 stipend. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To learn more and apply, complete the form in the bio link 🔗 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Application Deadline is December 9, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST Recipients will be notified in late December 2025. Spread the word. Tag a friend Quote from past recipient: “This journey to Haystack was meaningful to me in so many ways. The workshop allowed me time to look into myself, to create beauty and to surround myself with creative, beautiful and supportive people.” -Leila Kharem @khidesigngroup

Meet the Jurors for the Creative Futures Grant Lydia Thompson: Ceramic artist and Professor of Art at Chapel NC Charlotte @lydiacthompson Kandy G. Lopez: Multimedia artist specializing in fiber and Associate Professor at Nova Southeastern University @kandyglopez Jerushia Graham: Printmaker, fiber artist, papermaker, book artist, and arts educator @jerushia.graham 📷 Angela West Attention Black Graduate Students in Craft! Have you applied for the Creative Futures Grant? The deadline is September 22, 2025. We are accepting applications! This opportunity is exclusively for Black graduate students studying craft disciplines at U.S.-based colleges and universities. The grant offers a $5,000 award to support your vision and elevate the rich traditions, innovations, and practices of #BlackMakers—voices that have often been overlooked in the global craft conversation. 🖤 Whether your focus is in textiles, ceramics, wood, metal, or another craft field, this is your moment to shine! 🙏 This grant is funded by the Maxwell Hanrahan Foundation. Thank you for championing Black creativity in craft! 📣 Help us spread the word! Tag a Black graduate student craftsperson who should apply. Let’s ensure this opportunity reaches every corner of our community. 📍 To learn more and apply, visit . 🔗 Link in bio. #BADGUILD #CreativeFuturesGrant #BlackCraftMatters #CraftGrants #BADGEducation #CraftMakers #SupportBlackMakers #BlackCreatives #GradSchoolGrind

The Black Artists + Designers Guild (@badguild ) is a community of independent Black makers working in a range of creative industries. Their installation, “The Underground Library,” can be found on the first floor of “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, in the room that once housed Andrew Carnegie’s personal library. Inspired by the Underground Railroad—the clandestine network established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans traveled in their search for freedom—this library is an interactive space, a 21st-century sanctuary brimming with books, art, and artifacts relating to Black history and culture. Here, BADG member Jomo Tariku (@jomotariku ) reflects on how the Guild aimed to redefine the idea of a library through their final installation. Be sure to experience “Making Home” before it closes August 10—tap the link in our bio to plan your visit to Cooper Hewitt.

The Black Artists + Designers Guild (@badguild ) is a community of independent Black makers working in a range of creative industries. Their installation, “The Underground Library,” can be found on the first floor of “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, in the room that once housed Andrew Carnegie’s personal library.   Inspired by the Underground Railroad—the clandestine network established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans traveled in their search for freedom—this library is an interactive space, a 21st-century sanctuary brimming with books, art, and artifacts relating to Black history and culture.   Here, BADG member Leyden Lewis (@leydenlewisdesignstudio ) discusses how the past and present intersect in the Guild’s final installation.   Be sure to experience “Making Home” before it closes August 10—tap the link in our bio to plan your visit to Cooper Hewitt.

The Black Artists + Designers Guild (@badguild ) is a community of independent Black makers working in a range of creative industries. Their installation, “The Underground Library,” can be found on the first floor of “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, in the room that once housed Andrew Carnegie’s personal library.   Inspired by the Underground Railroad—the clandestine network established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans traveled in their search for freedom—this library is an interactive space, a 21st-century sanctuary brimming with books, art, and artifacts relating to Black history and culture.   Here, BADG founder Malene Barnett (@malene.barnett ) discusses how signs and symbols used in the Underground Railroad informed and inspired design elements that appear the final installation, and what she hopes visitors will take away from the space.   Be sure to experience “Making Home” before it closes August 10—tap the link in our bio to plan your visit to Cooper Hewitt.

The Black Artists + Designers Guild (@badguild ) is a community of independent Black makers working in a range of creative industries. Their installation, “The Underground Library,” can be found on the first floor of “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial, in the room that once housed Andrew Carnegie’s personal library.   Inspired by the Underground Railroad—the clandestine network established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans traveled in their search for freedom—this library is an interactive space, a 21st-century sanctuary brimming with books, art, and artifacts relating to Black history and culture.   Here, BADG member Penny Francis discusses the influence that the library, its history, and its architecture had on the final installation.   Be sure to experience “Making Home” before it closes August 10—tap the link in our bio to plan your visit to Cooper Hewitt.

“The Underground Library: An Archive of Our Truth,” is a @badguild Lab initiative commissioned by @CooperHewitt , Smithsonian Design Museum, for their exhibition “Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial,” on view at 2 East 91st through August 10th. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “The Underground Library” was conceptualized and designed by the BADG Curatorial Team @malene.barnett , @jomotariku , @leydenlewisdesignstudio , @ninacookejohn , and @eclectichomenola . The BADG Collective was inspired by the Underground Railroad, the clandestine network established in the early 19th century, through which many enslaved African Americans traveled in search of freedom. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This library installation represents a 21st-century sanctuary surrounded by art, objects, artifacts, and books of Black legacy. The abundance of objects honors African Diasporic legacies offered by over thirty makers in art and design. In reimagining and repurposing Andrew Carnegie’s personal library, BADG invites visitors to examine the power of home libraries and the significance of literacy, remembering that African Americans were denied the right to read under slavery. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This BADG installation was made possible through the invaluable support of the “Making Home” curatorial team along with Akerman, Crafting The Future, Grace Farms Foundation/ Design For Freedom, Hachette Book Group, Kravet Inc., LebaTex, MIT Press, Randy’s Booth Co., Shaw Contract Hospitality, Thayer Coggin, and Window Works. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷 @sans.murs 🎥 @csoph123 #BuildwithBADG #TheUndergroundLibrary #BADGLab #BADGuild #WeAreBADG #BlackMakers #DesignTriennial #BlackDesigners #CooperHewitt

NYC Design For Freedom Panel
Tuesday, April 29 | 6:00PM ET
Shaw Contract Showroom, 853 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NYC Join us for an inspiring evening exploring “The Underground Library,” that’s part of the Making Home — Smithsonian Design Triennial @cooperhewitt ! The panel discussion will spotlight the challenges and opportunities of material tracing in interior design. ✨ Panelists: * Malene Barnett, Multidisciplinary artist, founder of Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) @malene.barnett * Nina Cooke John, Architect @ninacookejohn * Jomo Tariku, Furniture Designer @jomotariku * Leyden Lewis, Interior Designer @leydenlewisdesignstudio Moderator: Tim Conway, VP Sustainability at Shaw Industries @shawcontract Discover how ethical sourcing and labor practices are shaping the future of design, with a special focus on The Underground Library—BADG’s powerful installation at Cooper Hewitt’s Triennial. Don’t miss this chance to connect with leading voices and changemakers in the industry. @dffmovement 🔗 RSVP for this free event 📷 @csoph123

Save the date! 🗓️ NYC Design For Freedom Panel
Tuesday, April 29 | 6:00PM ET
Shaw Contract Showroom, 853 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NYC Join us for an inspiring evening exploring “The Underground Library,” that’s part of the Making Home — Smithsonian Design Triennial @cooperhewitt ! The panel discussion will spotlight the challenges and opportunities of material tracing in interior design. ✨ Panelists: * Malene Barnett, Multidisciplinary artist, founder of Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) @malene.barnett * Nina Cooke John, Architect @ninacookejohn * Jomo Tariku, Furniture Designer @jomotariku * Leyden Lewis, Interior Designer @leydenlewisdesignstudio Moderator: Tim Conway, VP Sustainability at Shaw Industries @shawcontract Discover how ethical sourcing and labor practices are shaping the future of design, with a special focus on The Underground Library—BADG’s powerful installation at Cooper Hewitt’s Triennial. Don’t miss this chance to connect with leading voices and changemakers in the industry. @dffmovement 🔗 RSVP for this free event 📷 @csoph123