The artists listed below have all been honored many times for their work. They are standouts in their fields, innovators and experts. They are at the top of many lists.

Now they are being recognized again – with, several told us, an honor that means more than most. Why? Because they were selected by people as accomplished as they are. They were chosen by peers. And, as 2014 Honorary Fellow Tina Oldknow puts it, “awards from peers mean a lot, because those are people who know your field best.”

Each of the new American Craft Council Fellows was nominated by current members of the College of Fellows. Since the program began in 1975, almost 300 Fellows have been inducted. “These are among the most significant and respected honors in the field,” says Perry A. Price, American Craft Council’s director of education. “The honorees of these awards are influential figures who have defined and shaped contemporary studio craft in America.”

To win, the Fellows must have demonstrated excellence in their disciplines for at least 25 years. The Gold Medal, the Council’s highest honor, is awarded to a previously inducted Fellow. The Award of Distinction goes to individuals or organizations that have made sustained, significant contributions to the field of craft. The Aileen Osborn Webb Award, named for ACC’s founder, honors extraordinary philanthropy.

Stuart Kestenbaum, director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the ACC trustee who heads the awards committee, enjoys notifying Fellows that they’ve won the award. “Even though they have all received significant recognition for their life’s work,” he says, “to be recognized in this way by their peers is a profound experience.”

The Council will celebrate the new award winners with a ceremony and reception at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City on November 15. In the meantime, we are proud to present the winners of the 2014 American Craft Council Awards. ~The Editors

Click on each award winner below to read their profile, watch a video of our studio/home visits, and see images of their work:

Betty Woodman
Michael Hurwitz
Jane Lackey
Bruce Metcalf
John Gill
Judith Schaechter
William Carlson
Tina Oldknow
The Clay Studio
Fleur Bresler