American Craft magazine celebrates the diversity of American craft and its makers. From the handmade that we use in our homes every day to the fine craft honored in museums, we cover inspiring craft being made today. We also showcase craft organizations making a difference in their communities, thought leadership in the field, and the importance of craft in contemporary American culture.

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From the Editor

Inhabit. I was once fortunate enough to spend a summer building a log cabin with my family. With the help of skilled tradespeople, my parents, brother, sister, and I raised this structure in northern Minnesota and provisioned it with handmade items, such as rugs, lamps, kitchen towels, birdhouses, and a beloved ceramic frog, bought in small towns nearby.

My family no longer has this cabin, where we loved to play board games and sit by the campfire. Yet I still think of it as one of the most important dwelling places of my soul. It was a space filled with tangible expressions of the vision and labor of my family and of people nearby, a space we inhabited together.

As we head into winter—a time when many move indoors, close to the objects we keep and the people we love—American Craft takes an expansive look at the theme inhabit. In these pages you’ll find the work of furniture and household object makers whose designs and materials make homes more inviting. That includes Daniel Michalik, whose cork and wood chair graces the cover. You’ll discover hotels where you can experience craft. And you’ll learn about furniture makers and other artists who are furnishing new tiny homes for those experiencing housing insecurity.

A handcrafted checkerboard by Mattie Hinkley. Photo by Dani Padgett.

Essays explore what living with objects over time taught a writer about being human, why an artist and architect says it’s important to fully inhabit her body and mind in order to create, and how craft has the capacity to rebuild the world.

In my mind, to inhabit is to expand into and feel held by a space. It involves being present and feeling accepted. I hope everyone reading this has experienced that feeling at some point in their lives.

I’m also delighted to let you know about two talented editors who have joined the staff of American Craft: Senior Editor Jennifer Vogel and Assistant Editor Shivaun Watchorn. Together, we’re working hard to bring you meaningful stories about powerful craft.

KAREN OLSON / Editor in Chief

American Craft Council publishes American Craft magazine on a quarterly basis but reserves the right to change the number of issues in an annual term, including discontinuing any format and substituting and/or modifying the manner in which the subscription is distributed.