Crafting curiosity.
Explore the American Craft Council’s array of programs designed to inspire appreciation of craft and support makers at all career stages.
Craft Lab Workshop Series
Illuminate the business of making.
This free virtual workshop series is designed for artists and makers interested in honing the craft of business. Available to ACC members, Craft Lab is an opportunity to learn directly from experts through presentations, discussions, and activities that illuminate the most important elements of a craft business.
Early Career Artist Program
Transformative support.
The American Craft Council’s Early Career Artist Program gives you the resources you need to professionalize your passion. Building on the benefits of ACC membership, which includes access to on-demand professional development workshops, an inspiring subscription to American Craft magazine, and discounted application fees, this program adds opportunities for advertising support, tool and equipment grants, and discounted booth fees to showcase your work at our marketplace events across the country.
Artist opportunities.
Calls for applications and exhibition opportunities for artists and makers.
Craft artists and makers from across the country are invited to apply to exhibit at American Craft Made, American Craft Fest St. Paul, and other marketplaces and festivals. Explore upcoming opportunities today.
American Craft Forums
Conversation and community.
American Craft Forums are a dynamic series of programs, presented in conjunction with American Craft magazine, that brings together the past, present, and future of craft through artist spotlights, deep dives into creative practices, archival explorations, and timely conversations that connect contemporary issues with the handmade world.
Let’s Make!
Let’s Make! brings craft out of the workshop and into the open.
Through this program, locally-based artists and craft organizations lead hands-on demonstrations and introduce new audiences to the magic of making. Interested in joining us as a Let’s Make! Partner for American Craft Made Baltimore or American Craft Fest St. Paul? Submit an interest form and we will be in touch.
School-to-Market
Designed to bridge the gap between craft-centered education and the marketplace.
The school-to-market program offers craft education students a critical opportunity for real world experience– building their brand, honing their sales skills, and engaging with a dedicated audience in a supportive environment. Interested in joining us as a School-to-Market Partner for American Craft Made Baltimore or American Craft Fest St. Paul? Submit an interest form and we will be in touch.
Our awards.
ACC helps pave the way for excellence in craft by honoring artists and advocates whose work moves the craft field forward.
ACC Biennial Awards
Every other year, the American Craft Council bestows four types of awards recognizing the inspiring individuals and organizations moving the field forward.
Awards of Excellence
These awards celebrate outstanding artists in our marketplaces, recognizing makers who demonstrate exceptional quality of work and entrepreneurial effort. Five Awards of Excellence are distributed during American Craft Made Baltimore.
Randall Darwall Fiber Award
The Randall Darwall Fiber Award, an opportunity created in honor of a beloved ACC show artist, helps fiber artists participate in our marketplace by providing a free booth and stipend to assist with show expenses.
Harlan Boss Scholarships
This opportunity awards Minnesota emerging artists who are Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC) or otherwise historically underrepresented with financial and in-kind support to build sustainable and successful careers.
CERF+ Award
The CERF+ Emerging Artist Readiness Award is an annual award (over five years from 2025-2030) provided by the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+), a non-profit organization that provides craft artists emergency relief and preparedness grants as well as education, advocating for craft artists through every step of their creative journeys.
Take part.
Become a member of ACC.
Support makers, celebrate the handcrafted, and get American Craft delivered to your home with a membership to the American Craft Council.