Every February for more than 30 years Baltimore has been treated to a showing by some of the nation's finest artists and artisans. More than 700 craft artists gather in the Baltimore Convention Center in the Inner Harbor for a weekend to present their handmade works to the public.
Though large, in fact the largest juried, indoor craft show in the country, the American Craft Council Show is quite selective when choosing exhibitors. Because the show has both a retail and wholesale component, acceptance in the show can be very helpful in an artists' career.
American Craft Council Show exhibitors work includes:
- Basketry
- Ceramics
- Fashion
- Decorative Fiber
- Furniture
- Glass
- Jewelry
- Leather
- Metal
- Mixed Media
- Wood
2008 American Craft Show Details
- Date: February 22-24, 2008 (wholesale only February 19-21)
Retail Hours: Friday, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Admission for general public: $14, $20 two-day pass, age 12 and under free
Visiting the Show? Inner Harbor Restaurants || Baltimore Hotels || Inner Harbor Parking
2008 Highlights
- Crafts4Kids - More than 50 artists will present clothing, furniture, toys, home décor and more designed especially for children.
- Green Craft - Artists use recycled, found, and/or eco-friendly materials and techniques.
- New Wave Craft - This year 15 artists in the "New Wave Craf"t community were selected to show their handmade wares. Among the items are lampshades made out of cocktail umbrellas, adult and children’s clothing made from vintage and reclaimed fabrics and jewelry incorporating Barbie parts.
- Demo Stage - Demonstrations range from art techniques in glass, fiber, painting, jewelry, wood, digital photography and fiber arts media to learning how to dye yarn with Kool Aid.
- Searchlight Artists - Fifteen artists, selected from the nation's leading craft colleges, museums and residencies, have been invited to present and sell their work in a special gallery space on the show floor.
- School-to-Market - To help bridge the gap between college and the marketplace for students, the American Craft Council invited two colleges – Kendall College of Arts and Design of Ferris State University (Grand Rapids, MI) and Virginia Commonwealth College (Richmond, VA) – to debut their top students' work at the show.
More on the American Craft Council
The American Craft Council is a nonprofit organization founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb. Its mission is to promote contemporary American craft. In addition to sponsoring this and across the country, the Council produces bimonthly magazine AMERICAN CRAFT.
