Hands On in Baltimore

Hundreds of exhibiting artists from all across the country (plus a few for the first time from Canada) are excitedly preparing to offer visitors to the American Craft Council's Baltimore Show an unparalleled opportunity for total immersion into everything and anything handmade at the city's convention center beginning Friday, February 27, through Sunday, March 1.

Discover first-time exhibitors and rediscover returning artists, including past Award of Excellence recipients Petra Class, Peter Czuk, David D'Imperio, Steven Ford and David Forlano, Eric Silva, Pablo Soto, Holly Tornheim and many more.

See smARTWORKS artist Sonya Mackintosh's knitted wool Sabrina scarf, one of which recently enjoyed a whirlwind trip to Asia courtesy of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who wore the fluid, highly sculpted, crinkle-edged accessory in a combination garnet and real red.

Come see the spectacular work of this year's Searchlight Artists, 13 emerging talents working in an eclectic mix of ingeniously designed media. Searchlight Exhibition Designer Amy Shaw and the Council's Director of Education Monica Hampton, along with their team, are working behind the scenes to install a special section at the show for these adventurous artists. In a space designed with no white walls or pedestals, objects by the Searchlight Artists will be presented in context of the many ways of living with and relating to craft.

Creative today, classic tomorrow, the 16 AltCraft "indie" artists at the show will showcase their innovative use of materials and techniques in a shared market-style stage.

At another special section two outstanding colleges-Savannah College of Art and Design and Virginia Commonwealth University-are debuting their top students' work as part of the School-to-Market initiative to help bridge the gap between academic programs and the marketplace.

Visit the Green Craft artists at their re-playground for the imagination where you'll find handmade objects incorporating recycled or found materials using eco-friendly techniques.

As part of the show's full-on venture into the handmade, artists and arts organizations join together with the Council to mount dynamic demos and presentations all three days, helping the audience understand the effort and energy that goes into handmade products. Be sure to check the signage on the show floor for participating artists and specific times for each program, or stop by the Demo stage area each day.

Stay tuned for show floor updates, videos and installation photos over the coming days.