ACC staff will be returning from our 47th annual flagship marketplace in Baltimore and may be delayed in responding to calls and emails. ×

Press Room

Press Room

Press releases and media inquiry contact information for the American Craft Council (ACC).

For questions and press inquiries about the Council, please contact our director of marketing and communications, Keona Tranby. For press inquiries related to specific American Craft Shows, refer to the list of contacts below.

American Craft Show, Baltimore

Jamie Watt Arnold
Profiles, Inc.

(410) 243-3790
[email protected]

American Craft Show, Atlanta

Karin P. Koser
KPK & Co./KPKinteractive

(404) 276-6027
[email protected]

American Craft Show, St. Paul

Lynn Nelson
LIN PR

(612) 990-0126
[email protected] 

Cathryn Kennedy 
Cathryn Kennedy Consulting

(612) 309-3951
[email protected]

American Craft Show, San Francisco

Erin Cullerton

Design Agency Co.

(323) 522-6391

[email protected]

Press Releases

American Craft Council Celebrates 50 Years of Awards Honoring Distinction in the Craft Field
Minneapolis, MN – February 10, 2020 – The American Craft Council (ACC), a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing American craft, is celebrating 50 years of awards honoring individuals and organizations for exceptional artistic, scholarly, and philanthropic contributions to the craft field. Awarded biennially since 1970, the ACC Awards include the College of Fellows, the Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship, the Award of Distinction, and the Aileen Osborn Webb Award for Philanthropy. This year’s awards highlight seven artists, a museum, and an advocate in the craft field who are continuing to uplift traditions while advancing the boundaries and impact of contemporary craft.

The American Craft Council Welcomes Andrea Satter as Director of Development
Minneapolis, MN – July 18, 2019 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce Andrea Satter as its new director of development. Satter has more than two decades of experience in fundraising, relationship management, sales, and recruiting, and most recently served as a development officer at the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. 

American Craft Council Announces 2019 Award Winners
Minneapolis, MN – March 21, 2019 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 American Craft Council Emerging Voices Awards, which recognize an Emerging Artist, an Emerging Scholar, and five shortlisted artists.

ACC Welcomes Scott Pollock as Senior Director of Programs and Public Engagement
Minneapolis, MN – January 9, 2019 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce that Scott Pollock will be its new senior director of programs and public engagement. This is a new position for the organization, and Pollock will assume the role on January 22.

American Craft Council Curates Artists for Amazon Handmade Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Minneapolis, MN – October 16, 2018 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Amazon Handmade, a Maker Pop-Up Shop featuring a curated selection of ACC show artists’ work for the 2018 holiday season.

American Craft Council Curates Artists for Amazon Handmade Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Minneapolis, MN – October 16, 2018 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Amazon Handmade, a Maker Pop-Up Shop featuring a curated selection of ACC show artists’ work for the 2018 holiday season.

American Craft Council Welcomes New Director of Development
Minneapolis, MN – September 4, 2018 – ACC is pleased to announce that Gena Johnson will be its new director of development starting in mid-September. She will lead fundraising and membership efforts for the Council.

American Craft Council Welcomes New Executive Director Sarah Schultz
Minneapolis, MN – February 20, 2018 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce Sarah Schultz as its new executive director. Schultz, who has more than 25 years’ experience in arts leadership, fundraising, and education, succeeds Chris Amundsen, who left the organization in September.

American Craft Council Announces 2018 American Craft Council Awards
Minneapolis, MN – August 22, 2018 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 American Craft Council Awards. The biennial ACC Awards include the College of Fellows, the Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship, the Award of Distinction, and the Aileen Osborn Webb Award for Philanthropy.

American Craft Council Executive Director Resigns
Minneapolis, Minnesota – May 15, 2017 – The American Craft Council announced today that executive director Chris Amundsen has tendered his resignation. Amundsen’s last day will be August 4, 2017.

American Craft Council Announces American Craft Inquiry
Minneapolis, MN – March 29, 2017 – The American Craft Council is excited to announce the launch of a new biannual craft publication. American Craft Inquiry is a scholarly journal promoting discussion around craft’s history, scholarship, artists, institutions, contemporary practices, and its impact on culture and society.

American Craft Council Announces Award Winners
Minneapolis, MN – February 15, 2017 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 American Craft Council Emerging Voices Awards, which recognize an emerging artist, an emerging scholar, and four shortlist artists.

American Craft Council Announces Finalists
Minneapolis, MN – February 6, 2017 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2017 Rare Craft Fellowship Award in association with The Balvenie.

American Craft Magazine's "Community Issue" Wins National FOLIO Award
Minneapolis, MN – November 9, 2016 – A finalist in three categories, American Craft magazine has won the top prize for a full issue at the 2016 FOLIO: Eddie & Ozzie Awards, one of the most prestigious publishing competitions in the country.

American Craft Council Names New Director of Education 
Minneapolis, MN – July 15, 2016 – The American Craft Council announced that Michael Radyk is its new director of education.

American Craft Council to Host 12th National Conference
Minneapolis, MN – April 5, 2016 – The American Craft Council (ACC) will convene a national conference October 13 – 15, 2016, at the Kaneko in Omaha, Nebraska.

Announcing the Honorees of the 2016 American Craft Council Rare Craft Fellowship Awards in Association with The Balvenie
Minneapolis, MN – April 5, 2016 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the honorees of the 2016 American Craft Council Rare Craft Fellowship Awards in association with The Balvenie.

Announcing the Recipients of the 2016 American Craft Council Awards
Minneapolis, MN – February, 8 2016 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2016 American Craft Council Awards, including the induction of seven individuals into its College of Fellows: Nick Cave, Michael Cooper, Françoise Grossen, Chris Gustin, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Hank Murta Adams, and Edward S. Cooke, Jr. (Honorary Fellow); the selection of Sara S. Morgan for the Aileen Osborn Webb Award for Philanthropy; the selection of Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) for the Award of Distinction; and the presentation of the 2016 Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship to Gerhardt Knodel (COF 1993).

American Craft Council Announces Recipients of 2015 American Craft Council Rare Craft Fellowship Award in Association with The Balvenie
Minneapolis, MN – March 2015 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the finalists and the recipient of the 2015 American Craft Council Rare Craft Fellowship Award in association with The Balvenie.

American Craft Council Announces Recipients of Inaugural American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award
Minneapolis, MN – January 2015 – The American Craft Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award, which recognizes one emerging artist, four shortlisted artists, and one emerging scholar. The award is made possible by the generous support of the John & Robyn Horn Foundation and Mohawk Fine Papers.

American Craft Council Announces Recipients of Prestigious 2014 American Craft Council Awards
Minneapolis, MN – April 2014 – The ACC is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 American Craft Council Awards, including the induction of seven individuals into its College of Fellows: William Carlson, John Gill, Michael Hurwitz, Jane Lackey, Bruce Metcalf, Judith Schaechter, and Tina Oldknow (Honorary Fellow); the selection of Fleur Bresler for the Aileen Osborn Webb Award for Philanthropy; the selection of The Clay Studio for the Award of Distinction; and the presentation of the 2014 Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship to ceramicist Betty Woodman (COF 1993).