Detroit, Michigan, June 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is thrilled to announce a commitment to endow the position of Chair of Studio Art & Craft. The Valade Family Endowed Chair in Studio Art & Craft will ensure ongoing support for the College’s Studio Art & Craft Department, one of CCS’s most historic programs.
This transformative commitment reflects CCS alumna and Trustee Molly Valade’s deep connection to and belief in the legacy and importance of the Studio Art & Craft program, as well as her enduring belief in the power of a CCS education. Molly graduated from CCS’s Fine Arts program (now Studio Art & Craft) and has served on the College’s Board of Trustees since 2008, in addition to serving on CCS’s alumni council for 13 years. Over the years, her engagement with students, faculty, and staff has strengthened the program’s creative and academic environment, and this gift will ensure that impact continues into the future.
“Studio Art & Craft has been at the heart of CCS for more than a century,” said Don Tuski, President of the College for Creative Studies. “The establishment of this endowed chair will help ensure the department continues to evolve, inspire new generations of artists and makers, and expand opportunities for innovative studio practice well into the future.”
Founded in 1906, CCS, then The Society of Arts & Crafts, integrated rigorous courses with the progression of the art and design movements and world-class, contemporary exhibitions. Since its inception, the Studio Art & Craft program has carried on this tradition while continually building on this foundation and legacy. In 2026, the program is still rooted in traditional techniques, now enhanced by contemporary processes and innovative technologies. The department currently enrolls undergraduate students exploring the disciplines of Ceramics, Drawing, Fibers and Textiles, Fine Arts, Glass, Metalsmithing and Jewelry, Painting, Performance, Print Media, Sculpture, Digital Fabrication and Digital Media.
Under the leadership of Department Chair Valerie Jenkins, Studio Art & Craft continues to foster rigorous studio practice and distinct creative voices. The creation of the Valade Family Endowed Chair will further elevate that work, strengthening the program’s impact and vitality, ensuring its continued growth.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES
The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Michigan Department of Education to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS, named an Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications, fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society. The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, including transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business.