Features & Essays

Handwork 2026 is a National Celebration of Craft 250 Years in the Making

Arts organizations find community, partnership, and collaboration through Craft in America’s landmark initiative.

By Ann Ruhr Pifer
March 6, 2026

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Photo by Jennifer Hemmingsen, courtesy of Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network

Book artist Alisa Banks's 2026 work Speak Your Piece. Banks will speak on May 2 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, as a part of Handwork 2026.

Robyn Hollingshead and I are honored to begin our tenures as co–executive directors of the Los Angeles–based nonprofit Craft in America during the culminating year of the largest and most ambitious project the organization has ever undertaken. Started by Craft in America founder Carol Sauvion, Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 is a collaborative nationwide celebration of American craft timed to coincide with the United States Semiquincentennial.

Handwork 2026 offers an opportunity to reflect on 250 years of American life through the lens of the handmade. The initiative brings together more than 280 organizations through exhibitions and events across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, culminating in an exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in November 2026. The project also includes a four-episode season of the Peabody Award–winning PBS series Craft in America, a book to be published by Phaidon titled Handwork: Handcrafted Objects That Made America, national K–12 educational programs and university residencies, and new short-form digital content celebrating the breadth of American craft.

Photo by Leah Moyers

Ann Ruhr Pifer, the co–executive director of Craft in America.

Extraordinary collaboration among participating organizations is at the core of Handwork 2026. The enthusiasm of this group and the exchange of ideas has been inspirational. The participants reflect the incredible scope and scale of the initiative: From major museums to grassroots community centers, they share Craft in America’s commitment to uplifting communities and broadening awareness of craft.

Our role at Craft in America has been to provide the framework for this collaboration. We’ve created a national website listing all participants and their events and exhibitions, common branding and messaging, and regular online forums for participants to connect and share information. We do this because we believe that with broader public awareness of, and appreciation for American craft, all parts of the craft ecosystem will benefit. To borrow a phrase from former Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone, “We all do better when we all do better.”

Photo courtesy of the Artist and Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

Papermaker Aimee Lee making hanji in the studio. Her exhibition Tethered is on at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art until June.

“We believe that with broader public awareness of, and appreciation for American craft, all parts of the craft ecosystem will benefit.”

— Ann Ruhr Pifer

One of the most compelling developments has been the way regional communities are coalescing around shared initiatives. In Philadelphia, an array of cultural organizations has come together under the banner of Radical Americana, a series of exhibitions led by The Clay Studio. The consortium states that the 45 artists featured in the network of exhibitions “were inspired by the art and history of Philadelphia in 1776, and the subsequent commemorations in 1876, 1926, and 1976. The artists’ new work will add their voices to current dialogue about our nation’s present and future, inspire civil dialogue, celebrate Philadelphia’s diversity, and continue the rich tradition of creativity in our city.” Among the organizations participating in Radical Americana, CraftNOW Philadelphia, the Museum for Art in Wood, the Wharton Esherick Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Fabric Workshop and Museum are official Handwork 2026 participants.

On the opposite coast, a similar spirit of collaboration has taken root in the Puget Sound region. What began as a joint press release and coordinated social media campaign among regional institutions—including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN), Northwest Designer Craftartists, s’gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ: House of Welcome at Evergreen State College, the Museum of Glass, and the Burke Museum—has evolved into programmatic collaboration.

Photo courtesy of the Clay Studio

Roberto Lugo's ceramic vase Bank Escape and Dominoes in the Same Day (from his Orange and Black series). Lugo's solo exhibition American Crib: What's Happening? will take place at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia from April 9 to July 5.

BIMA and BARN, both on Washington’s Bainbridge Island, are now partnering directly on two programs: a poetry reading and reception with Ricardo Ruiz in late April and an artist talk with Alisa Banks in early May. BIMA will host the artist talks and readings, while BARN will host a week of workshops. What started as shared messaging has blossomed into a partnership, demonstrating how Handwork 2026 catalyzes deeper and more sustained relationships.

In Hawai‘i, the potency of representation and collaboration was on full display earlier this year. In January, a community screening of the “West” episode of Craft in America brought together participants and partners including the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Puʻuhonua Society, and Inspiration Hawaii Museum. The room was filled with many of the artists and cultural practitioners highlighted in the episode. “The screening and conversation that followed was a powerful experience, especially considering everyone from the Hawaiian community who was in the room. It was a privilege to take part in this event,” says Patricia Bischetti, director and executive producer of Craft in America.

As many of us gathered recently at American Craft Made Baltimore, we did so at a pivotal moment. Handwork 2026 is no longer just an idea—it’s happening! If the first months are any indication, this initiative will be defined not only by exhibitions and events, but also by the connections between institutions, generations, makers, and communities who recognize that the handmade remains one of our most enduring cultural languages.

Photo courtesy of the Puʻuhonua Society

Hawaiian artists participate in ulana lauhala, the weaving of pandanus leaves.

Ann Ruhr Pifer is the co–executive director of Craft in America.

The American Craft Council is a major organizational partner on Handwork 2026.

Learn more about Handwork 2026 online.

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