Our St. Paul show has ended, but we can still celebrate the talented artist whose work filled the St. Paul River Center over the weekend.

A tradition dating back to the beginning of the American Craft Council shows, the Awards of Excellence acknowledge extraordinary work among a field of exceptional artists. Three artists are slelected for the strength and quality of their work, and a fourth is recognized for the quality of their booth design. All award winners are invited to participate in next year's ACC show season and they each receive a cash prize.

This year we were joined by the talented and tireless advocate of the arts in Minnesota, Lin Nelson-Mayson, who is the director of the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota. She was challenged to reconize only four artists from a field of more than 225. Here are the extraordinary winners at the ACC show in St. Paul:

Awards of Excellence
Keith Lewis - Jewelry, non-metal
Gina Pannorfi - Fashion, wearables
Michael Route - Metal

Award of Excellence - Booth Design
Robert and Tor Erickson - Furniture & Lighting

Our sincere thanks our fantastic juror, all of the talented artists who made the show a success, and the many attendees who proved that contemorary craft is alive and well in the upper Midwest.