Artist Applications
Artist Applications
Artist applications are open now for three different opportunities!
American Craft Made is a series of marketplace events produced by the American Craft Council, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting craft and its artists. Our two marketplace events in Baltimore and St. Paul and now the Online Artists Directory (new this year) are open to artists from across the country who are creating work that reflects the diversity of contemporary craft. Come be a part of our community, and we'll help you share your story and sell your work to our focused audience of craft enthusiasts.
American Craft Made Artists Directory
and Pop-Up Marketplace Events Online
Application open: April 1, 2022
Extended application deadline: May 31, 2022
American Craft Made / St. Paul 2022
With Specific Mediums Prioritized
Application open: April 1, 2022
Extended application deadline: May 31, 2022
In-person dates: October 7–9, 2022
American Craft Made / Baltimore 2023
Application open: April 1, 2022
Application deadline: July 15, 2022
In-person dates: March 3–5, 2023
About Our Upcoming Opportunities
Now in its 35th year, the St. Paul marketplace’s established show attracts a loyal regional audience, many of whom are collectors. The event draws eight thousand attendees on average from Minnesota’s Twin Cities of Minneapolis (where ACC has its headquarters) and St. Paul, as well as western Wisconsin. It’s held at Saint Paul RiverCentre, a premier facility in the heart of downtown. Total artist sales for our 2019 St. Paul show came to an estimated $1.2 million.
Artists who already applied to the 2022 St. Paul show last summer do not need to re-apply. In order to balance our media makeup we are specifically calling for applications for work within the clothing and accessories and home goods categories. Jewelry applicants will be placed on a waiting list.
Coming up on its 46th year, the Baltimore marketplace is our flagship event and takes place at the impressive Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. With an average attendance of 17 thousand annually, this highly competitive and prestigious marketplace is a must-attend event for the craft community, attracting artists, buyers, and craft appreciators from across the United States. Total retail artist sales for our 2020 Baltimore show came to an estimated $5.2 million.
The American Craft Made Online Artists Directory is new for 2022 and represents the evolution of our online marketplace events into an opportunity for artists to gain visibility and sell their work over the course of an entire year. This program will bring contemporary craft artists from around the country together in a directory designed to share their work and their story and offer opportunities to participate in exclusive online marketplace events. Artists will be promoted to our targeted craft audience of over 60,000 email subscribers and 100,000 social media followers. Directory artists will also be the first to be considered for partnerships and collaborations as they arise. Our ecommerce platform has reached over 160,000 visitors and generated over $617,000 in revenue for participating artists since the launch in fall 2020.
Photo from our craft marketplace event at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Why Join Our Community of Artists
Exhibiting with ACC makes you part of our family, and we design our marketplaces to not only connect you to invested customers but also inspire people around craft, invigorate creative economies, and support up-and-coming generations of artists.
To bring an engaged audience of craft appreciators to our events, we conduct national, regional, and local marketing campaigns and promote our artists to more than 71K email contacts and more than 95K followers on social media.
ACC put on its first craft fair in 1966. This long history translates to a larger draw for our marketplace events and the know-how to create a smooth experience for our artists—so you can focus on making connections and selling your work.
COVID-19 Policy for In-Person Marketplaces
The safety of our artists, staff, and guests is our top priority as we return to in-person events in 2022. We will be implementing the following policy for our American Craft Made in-person marketplaces to minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19. These policies may be amended closer to the event dates in response to changing public health conditions and local and federal guidelines. Updated March 2, 2022.
- UPDATED: Vaccination Required for Artists and Guests – We are requiring that all of our exhibitors and marketplace guests show proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination. Proof of vaccination may include a physical card—or a photo of a complete vaccination card—that matches the artist or visitor’s ID and with their final dose dated at least 14 days prior to the event.
- What Counts As Vaccination? – At this time, the CDC considers people fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC currently recommends that everyone ages 16 and older get a booster shot. In the event that the CDC redefines “fully vaccinated” to include the booster shot, we will reach out to you regarding any changes to our COVID-19 protocol. For the latest CDC vaccine guidelines, click here.
- Face Coverings Required – Both guests and artists will be required to wear a face covering within the event venue.
- Resources – Connect to a COVID-19 vaccine provider in your area through vaccines.gov. If you’ve been vaccinated but lost your card, find out who to contact here.
New to ACC marketplaces? Apply as an Emerging Artist!
We recognize and support artists at different stages of their practice. If you’re new to American Craft Made and consider yourself an emerging artist, we encourage you to apply as an American Craft Made Emerging Artist (formerly known as Hip Pop). Now in its seventh year, our Emerging Artists program offers lower booth fees, show award opportunities, and extensive exhibitor support. Artists may enroll in the program for up to three years. Learn more about the program.
About the American Craft Council
ACC is a national nonprofit that believes in the value of things made by hand, the people who create them, and the meaning that creativity brings to everyday life. Marketplace events like American Craft Made are just one way we invest in artists’ livelihoods and help connect them to the people who will buy and cherish their work. Learn more about what we do.
Questions About Applying for our marketplaces?
Please contact the American Craft Council marketplace team at [email protected] for assistance.