Carol Sedestrom Ross, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Monday, June 14 in Houston, Texas.
Carol was THE mover and shaker in the craft field. Anytime she took something on, that “something” happened. Whether it was an economic survey of the impact of craft on our economy or starting an art school in Mexico, those of us who had her involved in a project were truly fortunate to have her energy, commitment, intelligence, and fearlessness. Carol was a towering figure in the contemporary American Craft movement. Over the last 30 years, beginning with her tenure at the American Crafts Council, she advocated for artists and developed markets for craft work that put bread on the tables of thousands of artisans.
In 1985, Carol decided that there was a clear need to institutionalize the passing of the hat she witnessed at almost every show to help exhibiting craft artists who were dealing with emergencies in their lives. She recognized that too often this gesture was the only safety-net that self-employed artists had. By creating the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, she ensured that craft artists would always have funds and other help to count on when their careers were threatened with events such as fire, theft, natural disaster, accident, and illness. Twenty-five years later, CERF+ has helped hundreds of artists with over $1 million in grants, loans, and other services.
Carol and her husband Adrian Ross, were trying to make a tight connecting flight in Houston returning to Mexico when Carol suffered a massive coronary attack and died.
— Martha Giberson
There is a memorial to Carol on the CODA website at:
http://www.codacraft.org/dnn/
(The above photo is from the same web page.)
Memorials posted here on the NAIA site and Member Forum.