Object Stories
These Object Stories are part of an ongoing community storytelling project of the American Craft Council where we invite artists, historians, curators, and industry leaders and professionals to share about objects that hold meaning for them. The pieces they present shed light on individual perspectives and underscore what is shared in our richly diverse community: that the objects we make, admire, live with, and inherit are much more than things. They are the embodiment of history, culture, and skill—and a testament to what we hold dear.
![Close-up of the Fudõ Myõ-õ statue by Takahiro Ryudaibori Kitamura's mother](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2020-08/takahiro-ryudaibori-kitamura-fudo-myo-o-statue-close.jpg?itok=kw8h4K7M)
Object Story: Strength and Beauty
A tattoo artist shares the story of his mother’s handcarved statue and how it inspires him.
![Monogrammed wedding china from the parents of Margaret Carney](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2020-07/kitchen-heirlooms-margaret-carney-wedding-china-720x405.jpg?itok=4C5B-JiS)
Kitchen Heirlooms: Margaret Carney
Makers, chefs, and scholars share the stories behind objects for cooking and dining that they hold dear.
![Michael Twitty Asanka](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2020-05/michael-twitty-asanka.jpg?itok=un3JKTGV)
Kitchen Heirlooms: Michael Twitty
Makers, chefs, and scholars share the stories behind objects for cooking and dining that they hold dear.
![Kitchen Heirlooms Neftali Duran](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2020-05/kitchen-heirlooms-neftali-duran.jpg?itok=EXweoAEo)
Kitchen Heirlooms: Neftalí Durán
Makers, chefs, and scholars share the stories behind objects for cooking and dining that they hold dear.
![Kitchen Heirlooms Francis Lam](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2020-05/kitchen-heirlooms-francis-lam.jpg?itok=4i-VtkXa)
Kitchen Heirlooms: Francis Lam
Makers, chefs, and scholars share the stories behind objects for cooking and dining that they hold dear.
![Hands Cupping Dough](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2020-04/hands-cupping-dough.jpg?itok=BM2qL78G)
Kitchen Heirlooms: Anna Metcalfe
Makers, chefs, and scholars share the stories behind objects for cooking and dining that they hold dear.
![Person holding a comb and a mic presenting with a slideshow image behind them](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2022-02/PT-story-Tenazas.jpg?itok=TD-bso9K)
Listen to Lucille Tenazas' Object Story
The graphic designer and associate dean of the School of Art, Media and Technology of Parsons School of Design shares about handmade hair pins from her childhood.
![Person presenting at a podium with slideshow image in backdrop](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2022-02/PT-story-Halfmoon.jpg?itok=j721JsVH)
Listen to Raven Halfmoon's Object Story
The ACC 2019 Emerging Voices shortlist artist shares about her powerful ceramic work and the significance of her ribbon skirts.
![Person presenting at a podium beside a doll on a pedestal](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2022-02/PT-story-DuBois.jpg?itok=5ydwRzfE)
Listen to Vashti DuBois' Object Story
The founder and executive director of The Colored Girls Museum shares about her handmade dolls that have been passed down between generations.
![Person presenting at a podium beside a ceramic cup on a pedestal with slideshow image in backdrop](/sites/default/files/styles/square_small/public/2022-02/PT-story-Datchuk.jpg?itok=Ou2q22KP)
Listen to Jennifer Ling Datchuk's Object Story
The artist-recipient of ACC’s 2017 Emerging Voices Award shares about two of her projects in porcelain.