Frequently Asked Questions: ACC Welcomes New Era
The world–and the craft ecosystem–are rapidly changing. As a nearly 85-year-old organization, ACC has changed our programs and activities many times and in many ways over the decades. Innovation and adaptation are as much a part of ACC’s story as tradition!
In every era, we have found new ways to advance our vision of a world where objects matter, makers thrive, and craft connects. We are taking the steps we announced on October 15, 2025 to make our resources and programs more accessible to makers and appreciators of American craft, to increase our reach and impact, and to cultivate a more connected craft ecosystem. For more information, please see the press release that serves as our organizational statement.
Below are answers to some of the questions we anticipate you may have.
General:
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As a nationwide, membership-based nonprofit, ACC leverages the transformative possibilities of craft through storytelling, resources for artists and appreciators, and events. In partnership with organizations across the country, we mobilize our diverse craft ecosystem to create a world where objects matter, makers thrive, and craft connects.
Great storytelling about craft isn’t going away at ACC—it’s moving online. An expanded set of newsletters will alert readers to selected fresh content published at craftcouncil.org, with readers able to choose the alerts they are most interested in.
We are sustaining and adding to other great online resources, too:
- Watch for a more robust Craft Happenings in 2026 that becomes the go-to, national resource for finding and learning about all things craft in communities across the U.S.
- A new Opportunities Board will feature listings for craft jobs nationwide plus opportunities like fellowships, grants, and calls for applications and proposals open to craft artists.
- Access to all online stories will continue to be a key benefit of ACC membership as new benefits are added to meet member needs and interests.
We are also sustaining and adding to our lineup of in-person and virtual events:
- American Craft Made Baltimore, the East Coast’s largest juried craft fair, will return for the 49th year to the Baltimore Convention Center on February 20–22 (tickets go on sale December 1).
- American Craft Fest St. Paul will return to the Twin Cities on June 13–14 (artist applications are now open, through December 2).
- 4+ annual, online Craft Forums will feature leading voices exploring timely topics in the craft field.
- Object Stories, our new in-person storytelling events, will take place in several cities across the U.S.
- In late 2026, a national craft field conference will bring together a multigenerational audience for learning, celebration, and fellowship.
- Watch for more information about a new, national Open Studios Weekend that ACC will promote as part of Handwork 2026, a national celebration of American Craft.
Programs providing direct support to artists will continue and grow:
- More than $100,000 in grants to artists will be available through our Early Career Artist Program starting this fall.
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ACC’s direct artist support will continue to grow through these changes. Beginning this fall, ACC will offer more than $100,000 in new grants for early career artists to purchase tools and equipment, pursue professional development, and seize career advancing opportunities. The grants will be available to ACC members who enroll in our Early Career Artist Program thanks to generous support from our foundation partners.
American Craft magazine:
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We understand that moving to a fully digital approach to storytelling will feel like a loss for many in our ACC community who love–as we do!–our widely respected, award-winning print magazine.
Publishing a print magazine as a nonprofit in today’s media and economic landscape is not financially sustainable for ACC. In addition to rising costs that affect every part of producing a print magazine, we, like many publishers, have encountered declining interest in print from our current and likely readers–and our advertisers.
The transition to exclusively digital content reflects the reality of rising publishing costs, but more importantly, it enables our nonprofit organization to be of greater service and value to more makers and craft appreciators throughout the country.
As we refocus our resources on producing and publishing digital content, we foster broad access to craft-centered stories and resources, meet makers and appreciators where they are, and advance our mission in a changing world.
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The last issue of American Craft magazine will be Winter 2026, arriving in mailboxes mid-November. Current ACC members do not need to take any action to receive the final issue.
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Yes! Single issues of American Craft, including Winter 2026, are available for purchase on our website here.
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Yes! The high quality stories, news, and other original content that you expect from ACC’s storytelling team will be available through our website. Drawing on new regional craft correspondents and guest columnists along with our existing approaches to developing stories, craftcouncil.org will feature expanded content reflecting our dynamic craft ecosystem and serve as a platform for new and established voices in the field—the place to explore artists pushing the boundaries of handcraft, small-batch manufacturers known for exceptional design, makers representing folk and heritage traditions, and more.
In addition, an expanded array of newsletters will allow you to curate the type of content you’re interested in and have it delivered directly to your inbox.
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Currently, some content at craftcouncil.org is available only to members who log in to our website. As we move to exclusively digital storytelling, we expect to maintain a balance of content that is available to everyone who visits our website, and content that is available to members only.
Membership:
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ACC membership is evolving to become a passport to craft. In partnership with craft-centered organizations, businesses, and events across the country, ACC members will gain access privileges and special discounts such as admission discounts, materials discounts, members-only access, and more. These benefits will grow and expand over time, shaped by the needs of our members.
Once our new membership benefits come online, members will access discount codes and other information and use their benefits by logging into a members-only area of our website.
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ACC membership will be your passport to craft. Think perks, discounts, and experiences including discounted membership to other national craft organizations, discounted tickets to craft-centered events, and opportunities to participate in the programs, events, and travel of other organizations that are generally open only to their members. The list will grow along with our membership and in response to member feedback.
ACC members will also continue to receive discounted admission to ticketed events we produce, including American Craft Made Baltimore, Object Stories events, our upcoming national conference in 2026, and other programs to be announced!
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We have secured an initial set of “passport to craft” perks, discounts, and experiences for ACC members and are excited to make them available. We expect that by early 2026, members who log in at craftcouncil.org will be able to view their new benefits plus any information (e.g., discount codes) required to use them.
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As of now, membership pricing tiers will remain the same. We do not expect to increase membership prices in 2026.
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Current ACC members do not need to take any action at this time to receive the winter issue of American Craft in November, to continue reading all American Craft content online, or to access other membership benefits. Members can expect to see the initial set of new “passport to craft” benefits available in the members-only area of our website in early 2026.
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Yes! ACC will not pause membership renewals. Current members will continue to receive renewal invitations before their memberships expire.
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With Winter 2026 being the last issue of American Craft in print, and additional membership benefits coming online in early 2026, we cannot accept gift orders at this moment. We look forward to offering gift memberships in 2026 and will promote them widely when we are taking orders again.
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The last issue of American Craft will reach mailboxes in mid-November, and new membership benefits will start coming online by early 2026. Membership supports the vital work that ACC does to support craft artists and build a broad audience for the handcrafted, and we hope that current members will stick with us and continue to support our mission by not requesting a refund. For those who prefer to request a prorated refund for the unused portion of their membership, we will have a refund request form available in January.
ACC Library & Archives:
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Our objectives in collaborating with the Center for Craft to steward the ACC Library & Archives are to increase access to this nationally unique resource; to ensure that its nearly 20,000 titles, 4,500 artist files, and thousands of digital assets are well stewarded for generations to come; and to leverage resources across the craft field in ways that foster cooperation, reduce duplication, and allow ACC to focus on expanding our digital storytelling, adding to our lineup of in-person and virtual events, and increase direct artist support through our Early Career Artist Program and other initiatives.
Regarding the first objective, the space that ACC has rented for our offices and the Library and Archives since moving to Minneapolis in 2010 is not easily accessible, and not visible to the public. It has been available by appointment only because of building security and other factors, and very few people visit. As the Library and Archives moves to its new home at the Center for Craft in late 2025 or early 2026, ACC will transition to a fully remote organization in 2026.
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ACC conducted a thorough search for the next steward of ACC’s Library and Archives, and the Center for Craft emerged as a natural choice based on their thoughtful, strategic proposal. Since its founding in 1996, the Center for Craft has become an essential advocate for the value of craft and in particular, for the importance of research and scholarly writing on craft. The Center’s focus on serving scholars through a variety of programs and activities made it our leading choice to steward the nationally unique ACC Library and Archives into the future.
The Center for Craft’s goal is for the library and archives to act as a living resource for the community. We are excited to have found such a well-positioned partner to build on our legacy in craft scholarship, and to leverage our collections through their closely related programs and activities.
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We anticipate that the books, volumes, and physical files in the Library & Archives collections will travel from ACC’s offices in Minneapolis to the Center for Craft in Asheville in late 2025 or early 2026. These materials are packed for shipping and are temporarily unavailable to the public.
The Center for Craft is anticipating a 2028 opening at the Center’s downtown Asheville building, where the collections will join the Center’s existing Materials Collection and Craft Research Fund Collection to form the Center for Craft Community Library and Archives. Once the Center for Craft Community Library and Archives is fully operational in 2028, materials will be free and accessible to the public, both in person and online through a dedicated database. Key materials from the collections will be available by request on a limited basis by the end of 2026.
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Many digital resources are currently available through craftcouncil.org and widely accessed by users. Maintaining access to these resources during the transition period (before the Center for Craft’s new facility opens) is a high priority, with the logistics yet to be determined between ACC and the Center for Craft. Please plan to attend our American Craft Forum jointly produced with the Center this winter to learn more. We will announce the date and time of the Forum via our Craft Dispatch newsletter and other ACC communications.
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ACC and the Center for Craft will host a jointly produced American Craft Forum this winter to share additional information about our exciting partnership and what it will mean for researchers, writers, and the general public. Please keep your eye on Craft Dispatch for the date and time of this event.