American Craft Council

American Craft Council
Name	American Craft Council
Abbreviation	ACC
Formation	1943
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Leader title	President and CEO
Leader name	Suzanne Boone

American Craft Council

The American Craft Council is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing craftsmanship, supporting makers, and promoting contemporary craft through exhibitions, publications, education, and fairs. Founded in 1943 by arts advocates including Aileen Osborn Webb and associated philanthropists, the organization has played a central role in the development of the modern craft movement in the United States, linking artists, collectors, educators, and institutions. Its work intersects with major cultural organizations, museums, and academic programs, shaping discourse around craft practices, materials, and traditions.

History

The organization emerged during World War II amid efforts by figures such as Aileen Osborn Webb and institutions like the Good Design initiative to sustain artisan livelihoods; early collaborators included the Craftsman Guild of America and regional craft societies. In the 1940s and 1950s ACC established a presence in exhibition circuits alongside museums such as the Cooper Hewitt and the Museum of Modern Art, and fostered connections with craft educators at universities including the Cranbrook Academy of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s ACC responded to the expansion of studio craft by engaging with figures from the Studio Craft Movement and supporting conferences that tied together practitioners from the Basketry Revival and the Studio Glass Movement. In the late 20th century ACC navigated changes in funding and professional practice similar to those faced by the National Endowment for the Arts and state arts agencies, while building regional networks with groups such as the Philadelphia Craft Show organizers and the Fiberarts Guilds.

Mission and Programs

ACC’s mission centers on elevating the understanding and appreciation of contemporary craft and supporting the livelihoods of makers. Programs include professional development for craft entrepreneurs comparable to offerings by the Craft Emergency Relief Fund and curriculum partnerships with colleges like Penland School of Craft and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. ACC runs educational initiatives that collaborate with museums such as the American Craft Museum (historic networks) and academic centers including School of the Art Institute of Chicago, while supporting specialty communities—metalworkers linked to the Society of North American Goldsmiths, woodworkers active with the Furniture Society, and textile artists associated with the Surface Design Association.

Membership and Governance

Membership structures accommodate practicing makers, collectors, and institutions, mirroring models used by the National Guild for Community Arts Education and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Governance is overseen by a board of trustees with backgrounds from organizations like the Getty Foundation, the Knight Foundation, and major academic art departments such as Columbia University School of the Arts. Committees include curatorial advisors, education committees, and fair oversight panels, drawing expertise from professionals affiliated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and regional craft councils.

Publications and Media

ACC publishes periodicals and digital content that have chronicled the field alongside titles such as Craft Horizons (historic lineage) and journals produced by outlets like Ceramics Monthly and Metalsmith. Its editorial efforts document profiles of makers from movements exemplified by names connected to Wendell Castle, Peter Voulkos, Anni Albers, Edmund de Waal, and Lucie Rie, while commissioning essays from scholars tied to institutions such as Williams College and University of Chicago. Media programs include podcasts, webinars, and online exhibitions developed in partnership with platforms like the Smithsonian Institution and educational consortia such as the College Art Association.

Events and Craft Shows

ACC organizes national craft fairs and juried exhibitions comparable in scope to events run by the Renwick Gallery and regional showcases like the Oldenburg Market. Annual shows attract makers who have exhibited at venues such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Hayward Gallery, and the American Craft Council Show circuit, offering awards modeled on recognitions like the Guggenheim Fellowship and the MacArthur Fellowship in their role of elevating artists. Jurors and speakers are often drawn from panels connected to the National Endowment for the Arts, curators from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and directors from institutions such as the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Collections and Collections Care

ACC supports documentation and conservation practices for craft objects, collaborating with conservation professionals at the Getty Conservation Institute, the National Museum of Natural History conservation labs, and university conservation programs like those at Queen's University and Northumbria University. Collections initiatives address materials-specific care—texts for ceramics reflecting protocols from the American Ceramic Society, fiber care informed by standards used at the Museum of International Folk Art, and metalwork preserved using techniques taught in workshops at the Winterthur Museum and the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States Category:Arts organizations established in 1943