Demonstrating our interest in recognizing, amplifying, and supporting craft practitioners who have deep roots in Minnesota, the American Craft Council is awarding two artists in the Creative Activities building at the Minnesota State Fair this August. Selected winners will receive $100 and a commemorative handmade ribbon created by contemporary urban American Indian artist Delilah Robb. 

Deep Roots Award

We teamed up with Native artist Tamara Aupaumut to award an artist whose work demonstrates a mastery of technique, rooted in a sense of tradition.

And the winner is…

Congratulations to Anita Lovelace from Minneapolis, Minnesota!

“For this year’s ACC Deep Roots Award, I chose the ‘Jingle Dress’ created by Anita Lovelace. She carefully crafted a young girl’s dress with a butterfly print adorned with jingles. I see the dress as a symbol of a young girl’s transformation into a woman, one who carries traditions for future generations. This entry also stood out because it happens to be the 100th anniversary of the Jingle Dress, regalia worn in ceremonies and to pow wows. It is a medicinal healing dress created with rows of metal cones, and when the women dance it sounds like rain. The dress is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Ojibwe, resilient traditions despite a history of oppression. Even for non-Natives, this dress is rooted right here in this place modernly celebrated as ‘Minnesota.’”
- Tamara Aupaumut

People's Choice Award

The American Craft Council believes democracy matters! Fairgoers get to select their favorite Creative Activities entry at the Minnesota State Fair. The voting process is open August 22 – 29. Vote onsite at the Creative Activities building or below. We will announce the winner here on August 30. 

And the winner is…

Congratulations to Karen Sukut from Eagan, Minnesota!

The nominees for the People's Choice Award were:

• "Wall E" folded paper sculpture by Karen Sukut of Eagan, Minnesota
• Black yoke, red and white/black horizontal stripes by Moo Hser of St. Paul, Minnesota
• "Buttered Corn" bass guitar by Chris Korolchuk of Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Wet felted boots using wool from Karakul sheep by Ann Gerold Stibal of Roseville, Minnesota
• "Under the Sea" crocheted arm chair by Michelle Price of Golden Valley, Minnesota
• "Its About Time" cross-stitch needlepoint by Lynette Hanzal of Blaine, Minnesota

Vote for your favorite entry

Image Gallery

About our Award Juror and Ribbon Maker

Tamara Aupaumut, a multidisciplinary artist and curator at Two Rivers Gallery in the Minneapolis American Indian Center, is a painter, ceramist, and quillworker who also works in film and theater. Aupaumut’s work is currently included in the group exhibition "Nibikaang" at the Watermark Art Center, and her filmwork can be seen in the award-winning short film 100,000 Miles a Second.  

Delilah Robb is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota. She describes herself as a contemporary urban American Indian artist who learned her craft at age 8 through joining 4-H and her grandmother. Robb currently sells Native American apparel and accessories through her Etsy shop Urban Indian Designs. You can also find Deliliah Robb on Instagram @urban_indian_designs.

About the Creative Activities Building

Each year the Creative Activities department of the Minnesota State Fair presents an annual exhibition of the finest Minnesota-made needlework, handcrafts, baking, and canning. Over 6,000 entries are received and 99 percent of the work entered gets displayed, making it a special attraction at the fair and a great place to learn more about Minnesotans. 
 
Creative Activities traces its history to the late 1800s, when it was known as the Women’s Building. At that time, the space was dedicated to showcasing the work of women, most notably needlework and baked and canned goods. Years later, as more men began entering pieces for competition, the building was renamed Creative Activities.