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ACC Announces the 2025 Award Winners at American Craft Made Baltimore

Artists presented with ACC Awards of Excellence, JRACraft Award for Excellence in Innovation, CERF+ Emerging Artist Readiness Award, Randall Darwall Fiber Award, and Asé Design Award for Excellence in Wood

Baltimore, MD
March 11, 2025

The American Craft Council (ACC) proudly announces the recipients of its prestigious Awards of Excellence and other juried awards at American Craft Made Baltimore on February 23, 2025. These awards recognize outstanding artisans for their craftsmanship, innovation, and artistic excellence, celebrating creators who push the boundaries of their respective mediums. The categories for the awards follow the awards follow the general marketplace categories of: Home & Living, Jewelry, Apparel and Accessories; and an additional recognition of the newest to our marketplace with the Emerging Artist award.

This year’s honorees include:

  • Carin Jones, Jonesing for Jewelry (Kingston, WA) for the Jewelry category:
    Jones is a Seattle area-based artist that derives her inspiration from a zoological background, particularly years of collecting and cataloging specimens. Honored for her composition, use of color, and artist range. Her inventive cold connections—beyond standard rivets—showcase remarkable skill, while her use of vintage tin and recycled materials are both clever and ethically responsible.
  • Philip Roberts, Art by Philip Roberts (Southhampton, NJ) for the Home & Living category:
    Roberts’ work blends modern technology with old-school patience, resulting in his original, intricate wooden designs. Recognized for the craftsmanship of his intricate designs with remarkable attention to detail. The arrangement of his artwork was exceptionally well-executed, enhancing the beauty of his pieces, especially when illuminated by natural and indoor light.
  • Rachel Levine, Arae Designs (Denver, CO) for the Apparel and Accessories category:
    Levine is a textiles artist and fashion designer with a focus on Shibori fabric dyeing and textile manipulation. Awarded for work that is unexpected, masterful in technique, and uniquely aesthetic. Her creations strike a perfect balance between elegance and playfulness, demonstrating a deep understanding of her craft.
  • Wenjing Yang, A Nod to Design (Portland, OR) for the Emerging Artist category:
    Leaning on her background in fine art and fashion design, Yang creates elegant, modern jewelry featuring Japanese glass beads, chains, and semi-precious stones to explore the design elements of shape, line, form, and texture. Recognized for the fluidity and delicacy of design, as well as the element of surprise she brings to a familiar medium.

“These awards are an important way to honor and elevate the work of artists who bring extraordinary craftsmanship and creativity to their fields,” said Andrea Specht, Executive Director of the American Craft Council. “Philip, Carin, Rachael, and Wenjing exemplify the ingenuity and excellence we celebrate at the American Craft Council. Their work not only captivates but also inspires, reflecting the power of handmade craft in today’s world.”

The jurors for the ACC Awards in Excellence were:

  • Rebecca Morton, Director of Artist and Studio Programs, Baltimore Clayworks (juror category: Home & Living)
  • Shane Prada, Executive Director, Baltimore Jewelry Center (juror category: Jewelry)
  • Diana Baird N’Diaye, Creative Direcotr, African American Craft Alliance & 2024 ACC Honorary Fellow (juror category: Apparel & Accessories)
  • Lowery Stokes Sims, independent curator & 2022 ACC Honorary Fellow (juror category: Emerging Artist)

In addition to the Awards of Excellence, ACC offered or partnered with other organizations to present:

  • JRACraft Award for Excellence in Innovation: Grace Brogan (Missoula, MT) received the award presented by ACC and the James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRACraft) that highlights artists at American Craft Made Baltimore who are using innovative techniques or materials. The award features a cash prize and guaranteed entry into next year’s American Craft Made Baltimore event. Brogan is an artist and broom maker practicing at the intersection of traditional craft and contemporary design.
  • CERF+ American Artist Readiness Award: Kathleen Grebe, Bold Standard (Raleigh, NC) received the grant, which is presented to one early career/emerging artist participating in ACC’s American Craft Made Baltimore to safeguard their craft-based practice from a future emergency. Awardees receive a $1,000 grant. Grebe went from designing logos for NBA stars to handcrafting jewelry for the fashion-forward.
  • Randall Darwall Fiber Award: Yulia Semchenko, Yul d’UZ (Rockville, MD) received the award that honors the legacy and memory of weaver and former ACC show artist, Randall Darwall, by providing financial support and encouragement for emerging fiber artists to exhibit their work. Semchenko designs pieces inspired by the craftsmanship of her native Uzbekistan.
  • Asé Design Award for Excellence in Wood: Holly Tornheim (Nevada City, CA) received the award provided by Darryl Patterson, Baltimore-based artist and designer and ACC Trustee, and Lawrence Moore, co-founder of Asé Design Studio. The award honors their commitment to community empowerment and meaningful engagement. Patterson and Moore are both long-time designers and woodworkers, and this award is a recognition of excellence within American Craft Made Baltimore for the media of wood, with the winner receiving a cash prize. Tornheim is drawn to natural shapes and forms, to make pieces that are not only visually exciting but also a delight to handle and use.

American Craft Made Baltimore is one of the most highly respected and anticipated craft events in the United States. As the largest juried craft fair on the East Coast, the fair honors the art of the handmade, fostering connection between creators and appreciators and supporting the livelihoods of early career and established artists and makers. The event is produced by the American Craft Council.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL:
The American Craft Council (ACC) is a nationwide, membership-based nonprofit working to foster livelihoods and ways of living grounded in the artful work of the human hand, creating a more joyful, humane, and regenerative world. Building upon an 80+ year legacy of tradition and innovation, ACC is part of a growing coalition of organizations, makers, and advocates building a movement that supports craft-centered livelihoods and ways of living—an American craft renaissance. Learn more and take part at craftcouncil.org.