Dream. As the United States reaches its 250th year in 2026, American Craft reaches its 85th. During World War II, Aileen Osborn Webb opened the gallery America House in Manhattan with a dream and a plan to support makers by selling their work, and launched a newsletter for the people it represented. That newsletter soon became the magazine Craft Horizons and was later renamed American Craft.
Over the ensuing eight and a half decades, these pages have honored the work of craftspeople, sharing their stories, materials, processes, and finished works. Generations of artists, writers, editors, photographers, and designers have helped explain and evaluate what’s emerging in craft.
The talented and dedicated staff and contractors who currently produce American Craft have built upon this history. I’m proud to announce that this work has been recognized again this year by the prestigious Folio Awards, which honor achievements in magazine publishing. As we were getting ready to go to press in October, we received an award for design excellence.
But, as we celebrate these significant milestones, I’m sorry to also let you know that the economics of publishing in print have caught up with us, and that this is the last issue of American Craft. For those of us who love craft—like Bruce Pepich, who brought together the largest collection of contemporary craft in North America as founding director of the Racine Art Museum—this is a big blow. In the pantheon of doers, thinkers, and supporters that make the craft community so unique, Pepich holds a special place. He describes the history of the magazine and how important it has been to him and the studio craft field on page 88.
Thankfully, for all the folks out there who are making—and making the world a better place—and for all lovers of craft, the American Craft Council is going to keep publishing stories online, maintaining a digital presence to help foster community. Keep looking to craftcouncil.org for the latest information on craft events and support for makers.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this issue focused on the theme dream. In the following pages, you’ll discover wildly talented and dedicated craftspeople from across the nation, including cover artist Dan Friday, who shares the oral stories of the Lummi Nation in glass.
As editor in chief, it’s been an honor to create this magazine over the past five years. Speaking on behalf of our current magazine staff and all of those who preceded us, it’s been an honor to be with you over the past 85 years.
We hope you’ll continue to treasure work done by hand and support craftspeople, who make meaningful objects that fill our lives with beauty.
Karen Olson is editor in chief of American Craft.
Dan Friday tells stories from his family and culture in his work, as in this hand-sculpted glass piece, Wex’liem Comb, 2020, 12 x 6 in. Wex’liem means “place of frogs” in the Lummi language. Learn more in the article "Permanent Marker" in this issue.
