Sponsor Spotlight: SNAG - Society of North American Goldsmiths

Established in 1968, SNAG's mission is to advances jewelry and metalsmithing by inspiring creativity, encouraging education, and fostering community. SNAG envisions a diverse jewelry and metals community engaging in thoughtful conversation and critical discourse while preserving tradition and embracing innovation.

SNAG holds a yearly conference and publishes Metalsmith magazine. Metalsmith gives you a front row seat on the world of studio art and design in contemporary jewelry and metalsmithing. It’s smart, beautiful and provocative, and guaranteed to inspire and invigorate. Coverage spans contemporary makers, artists in their studios, edgy work, production jewelry, fashion, hollowware, furniture, collectors’ collections, and much more.

For more information about SNAG visit http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/

Event Idea: Kids Craft Event

Our participants are always looking for new ways to celebrate American Craft Week this year. Here's a great way to get your community involved...

Plan a simple, kid friendly craft. Parents can shop while the kids are crafting. These kids are the craft artists, colletors, retailers and buyers of the future. Get them excited about American Craft now!

During ACW 2012, Maddi's Gallery in Charlotte, NC had two events just for kids. In one, a local art instructor led kids in making a vase from air-dry clay over glass. They used the millifiori technique, making rolled canes of clay, then slicing them and joining the slices over the glass.

Do you have a gallery specializing in glass? How about having the kids do a "Chihuly-Inspired" melted cup project?  Then they can take home their very own colorful masterpiece!

For other ideas, check out our Kid's Craft Ideas board on Pinterest.

Event Ideas: Empty Bowl (or Mug)

Our participants are always looking for new ways to celebrate American Craft Week this year. Here's a fun idea...

ZIG ZAG Gallery in Centerville, OH holds their annual Soup for CERF+, An Empty Bowls Event during American Craft Week. For a $10 donation customers get a handmade ceramic bowl filled with soup donated by local restaurants. It's a great fundraiser that their customers look forward to every year & raises money for a great cause.

For a little something different, instead of an empty bowl event, how about having an empty mug event? This would be particularly great in a colder climate. Use crock pots or coffee urns for people to fill their purchased mugs with coffee, hot chocolate or apple cider.

Whatever charity you decide to pair up with, make sure you ask them to send an announcement to their supporters and to post it on their Facebook page. And don't forget that press release to all of your local news outlets!

Contest: American Craft Is...?

Win $250 by showing us the answer!

Send us a photo of a piece of handmade American craft. Make it a great picture, a real glamour shot. It can be your craft, or someone else's. Along with the picture send us ONE WORD to describe it. Our graphic design team will add your word to the picture, see the example below. The best ones will be posted on our website and Facebook page during ACW. The one with the very best combination of a photo and descriptive word will win the Grand Prize of $250! That's it, how easy!

Here are the rules:

Send entries to contest@americancraftweek.com

Accompany your photo with the following information:

1. Your ONE WORD description
2. Your name, address, and email
3. All entries must be submitted by Friday, September 12, 2014.

The contest is open to everyone except the ACW committee and their families.

All entries must be submitted by Friday, September 12, 2014.

All entries become the property of American Craft Week.

This contest was inspired by the 2013 photo campaign by The Laughing Dog Gallery in Vero Beach, Florida. Here is one of their postings: American craft is ...

Event Ideas: Have a Screening of Craft in America

Our participants are always looking for new ways to celebrate American Craft Week this year. Here's an easy & fun idea...

Participants of American Craft Week are invited to screen a new episode of Craft in America: Service as a free-to-the-public sneak preview event, or on continuous loop during galleries' Craft Week festivities from October 3-12, 2014.  Craft in America will be happy to provide a DVD (55 min. looped version) and promote your screening/event on the Craft in America website, Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to send a press release to your local news organizations.

Craft in America: Service

From the origins of the Army Arts & Crafts Program and the G.I. Bill to contemporary soldiers and veterans, Craft in America continues the journey to the origins, artists and techniques of American craft, documenting the power of the handmade to inspire, motivate and heal. Service is scheduled to air nationwide on PBS November 2nd. 

To view the press release visit:   http://www.craftinamerica.org/press/story_2338.php?PHPSESSID=07b03a847e76a048cc782f3c4e0345fb

Please contact Beverly Feldman - Beverly@craftinamerica.org for more details