Society for Contemporary Craft General Information

The Judy Cheteyan Scholarship Fund
Press Releases

Fereshteh Toosi Named Recipient of Second Annual Cheteyan Scholarship

The winner of the second annual Judy G. Cheteyan Scholarship at the Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC), Fereshteh Toosi will complete a three-month internship at the craft organization during the summer of 2003. Toosi is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree from the College of Fine Art at Carnegie Mellon University. Now in its second year, the scholarship was established by Sewickley businessman Michael Cheteyan in honor of his wife and her devotion to contemporary craft and her belief that the arts and education make for a stronger community. The Cheteyan Scholarship is yet another example of the growing opportunities and programming at SCC made possible by a strong and active Board of Directors as well as dedicated volunteers and staff members. A member of SCC’s Board of Directors since 1999, Judy Cheteyan serves as Board Vice President, chairs of the Board Excellence Committee and chair of the Human Resources Task Force. She is President of ABDI/Global Fulfillment, Inc., a Sewickley-based full-service product warehousing, customer service, order processing and fulfillment organization. "We are delighted with Fereshteh’s selection as this year’s scholarship recipient," said SCC Executive Director Janet L. McCall. "She is a very talented young artist and educator, and her enthusiasm and ideas for SCC’s outreach programs is enriching the ways in which we can reach out to the community." Toosi will spend her three-month internship working in the areas of outreach and exhibitions, focusing her efforts on the exhibition Home/land, Artists, Immigration and Identity. She is working with Laura Domencic, Outreach Coordinator and Exhibitions Assistant, to coordinate artists and volunteers for SCC’s annual Community Day celebration on July 12, and Finding Home: Contemporary Art from Bicultural Perspectives, a day-long exchange around topics of immigration and artistic identity to be held at SCC on Saturday October 11. Toosi is also coordinating SCC’s Drop-In Studio for the current Home/land: Artists, Immigration and Identity exhibition. Toosi will receive her CMU degree in May 2004. She holds a B.A. in Studio Art from Oberlin College and has worked as an adjunct faculty member for Chatham College and as a teaching assistant at Carnegie Mellon University. She is the coordinator for project MOBILIVRE – BOOKMOBILE project, a collectively-run, traveling exhibition of artist books and zines. She resides in Pittsburgh’s North Point Breeze neighborhood. The Society for Contemporary Craft is a nonprofit, visual arts organization that has been presenting regional, national and international contemporary art in craft media since 1971. SCC’s main exhibition gallery, education center and retail store are located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, PA. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in a drop-in workshop are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call 412-261-7003.

Society for Contemporary Craft Calls for 2003 Summer Interns
for the Sencond Annual Judy G. Cheteyan Scholarship

PITTSBURGH, PA – March 1, 2003 – The Society for Contemporary Craft is accepting applications through March 30th for the second annual Judy G. Cheteyan summer internship program, which allows students of art, art history or arts management the opportunity to gain experience with an internationally recognized contemporary craft organization. Now in its second year, the scholarship was established by Sewickley businessman Michael Cheteyan in honor of his wife and her devotion to contemporary craft and her belief that the arts and education make for a stronger community.

The Cheteyan Scholarship is an extension of SCC’s capacity building and growth, which have been the result of a strong and active Board of Directors as well as dedicated volunteers and staff members. "Last year’s selection process was difficult because all the applicants were so highly motivated and qualified," said Judy Cheteyan. "However, once we made the selection, it was truly exciting to see how successful, powerful and productive the opportunity was for both the intern as well as for SCC." A member of SCC’s Board of Directors since 1999, Judy Cheteyan serves as Board Vice President, chairs of the Board Excellence Committee and chair of the Human Resources Task Force. She is President of ABDI/Global Fulfillment, Inc., a Sewickley-based full-service product warehousing, customer service, order processing and fulfillment organization.

SCC’s summer internship program is different from other opportunities available for young people in the way it is tailor-made for the individual. The SCC Cheteyan Intern works closely with the staff and has the opportunity to first identify and then work on a significant project over the course of the summer. This results in a more meaningful experience for students who want to work in the arts, because it enables them to develop the skills they hope to use in future jobs and to come away from the experience with a deeper knowledge and understanding of what it means to work in a not-for-profit visual arts organization. "We have been very fortunate in the high degree of professionalism our interns have brought to SCC and have benefited from their enthusiasm, ideas and skills in ways that we would miss if we were to constrict the scope of their work before getting to know the person." commented Executive Director .

The Society for Contemporary Craft is a nonprofit, visual arts organization that presents regional, national and international contemporary art in craft media including clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood and found objects. SCC’s main exhibition gallery, education center and retail store are located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, PA. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in a drop-in workshop are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call 412-261-7003.

	CMU Student Cary Morrow Named Inaugural Recipient of Cheteyan Scholarship
PITTSBURGH, PA … May 8, 2002 … Cary Morrow has been selected as the inaugural Judy G. Cheteyan Scholarship recipient for the summer 2002 internship at the Society for Contemporary Craft (SCC). Morrow is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts Management degree from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. "Cary is uniquely qualified to be the first recipient of the Cheteyan scholarship," said SCC Executive Director Janet L. McCall. "The selection committee was unanimous in their decision, praising both her personal passion for the arts and her dedication to advancing others’ access to and appreciation of contemporary art. We’re delighted that SCC will play a role in her professional development through this internship program." Morrow will begin her three-month internship on Tuesday, June 4. Her primary responsibilities will include assisting with all aspects of SCC’s September 21 benefit event; researching, assessing and documenting the works in SCC’s permanent collection; and identifying potential national sources of contributed support for the organization. Sewickley businessman Michael Cheteyan established the Judy G. Cheteyan Scholarship in honor of his wife and her devotion to contemporary craft. The scholarship funds an annual summer internship that provides a college student studying art or arts management with the opportunity to gain professional experience within a nationally and internationally known contemporary craft organization. The internship was created to promote the Cheteyans’ belief that the arts and education make for a stronger community. "It’s really a way to make connections with young people – to bring out their talent and allow them to develop their creativity," they said. A member of SCC’s Board of Directors since 1999, Judy Cheteyan serves as Board Secretary and chairs the Board Excellence Committee. She is President of ABDI/Global Fulfillment, Inc., a Sewickley-based, full-service product warehousing, customer service, order processing and fulfillment organization. She and her husband also reside in Sewickley. Morrow expects to receive her CMU degree in May 2003. She holds dual degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri – a B.F.A. in Photography magna cum laude and a B.A. in Social Thought and Analysis summa cum laude. She resides in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood. Founded by Elizabeth Rockwell Raphael in 1971, the Society for Contemporary Craft is a nonprofit, visual arts organization that presents regional, national and international contemporary artists who work in craft (clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood and found objects), and is one of only a few organizations in the United States dedicated to this art form. SCC’s main exhibition gallery, education center and retail store are located at 2100 Smallman Street in the Strip District. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibitions and informal, hands-on art activities in a drop-in activity area are always free to the public. For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call 412/261-7003.

The Judy Cheteyan Scholarship Fund Press Releases

The Judy Cheteyan Scholarship Fund
Press Releases