Linda is a practicing artist for more than 30 years and full-time university educator for more than two decades. Through her ceramic sculpture, Linda Ganstrom explores personal issues to universal questions and qualities of the human condition. Her childhood spent on a farm in central Kansas is manifest in Ganstrom’s early creative inquiry through themes of nature, growth, and transformation. Concerns of more current work include the roles of women, memory, family, spirituality, gender, and personal identity. Linda taught for seven years at Barton Community College before joining the faculty at Fort Hays State University where she directs undergraduate and graduate studies in ceramic art. Ganstrom served as NCECA exhibitions director for six years and helped organize memorable shows featuring national and international artists at the Tampa Art Museum, Bellevue Art Museum, and Milwaukee Art Museum during her tenure.

For more than three decades, Kate Lydon was Director of Exhibitions at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, where she oversaw the installation of exhibitions mounted at CC’s main gallery and at the BNY Mellon satellite gallery. Involved in all decisions regarding exhibition development, selection of work, touring of exhibitions and development of public programming, Lydon earned dual degrees in Art History and French at Denison University in Ohio and her master’s degree from the Archival, Museum and Editing Program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Lydon’s breadth of knowledge of the contemporary craft field, artist and process, and public education about craft is extensive. She has been an adjudicator for Best of 2016, Ohio Craft Museum; Tranquility and Turmoil Exhibitions, Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc., Hebron, Connecticut (2016); Craft Art Festival, Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg, Florida (2014) and the Tennessee Arts Commission, Individual Artist Fellowship in Craft (2010). She has also participated on jury panels for, The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston (2013); 2014 Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington, DC (2013); Craftboston 2013, The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, MA (2012); Kentuck Festival of the Arts, Kentuck Art Center, Northport, Alabama (2012), the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Individual Artist Fellowship/Crafts (2009); Greater Columbus Arts Council, Individual Artist Fellowship Selection (2004); Best of 2004, Ohio Craft Museum (2004) and ACC Southeast Region Spotlight 2004 Exhibition, Tamarack, Beckley, WV(2004). Lydon served on the Board of Governors of Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN from 2006-16 and the Board of Directors of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) as 2018 On-site Liaison-Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently a Presidential Appointee for Special Projects on the NCECA Board of Directors.