American Craft Week Celebrates All That Craft Creates; Official Celebration Dates October 1-16, 2016

posted Monday, September 26, 2016

Vermont Promotes ACW with fall foliage viewing, harvest activities and purchasing from local artists across the state.

The organizers of American Craft Week, the nation's largest annual craft celebration slated for Oct. 1-16 in cities and towns across the nation, will feature thousands of diverse events at galleries, artist studios, museums, schools and festivals. American Craft Week is the premiere public celebration of handmade craft in America.

Since its inception, American Craft Week has started on the first Friday of October, but this year because of the calendar, the event will go on for 16 days allowing more time to celebrate craft, says Diane Sulg, founder of American Craft Week.

"Craft creates beautiful objects, but there is so much more," says Sulg, "Craft creates jobs for thousands of Americans. The impact of this creative economy is profound, for individuals, communities, and the entire nation."

Several states around the country have really jumped on the bandwagon by involving tourism departments, welcome centers and events throughout the celebration.

The State of Vermont's Vermont Crafts Council, sponsors of American Craft Week, promotes fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with purchases from local artists from across Vermont by sponsoring two state-wide open studio weekends both October 1 and 2 and October 8 and 9. The promotion increases the visibility of artists and craftspeople in Vermont and fosters an appreciation for the creative process and the role that artists and craftspeople play in the vitality of Vermont's communities, says Martha Fitch, Director, Vermont Crafts Council.

Tennessee will partner with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and host craft demonstrations with talented craft artists in all fourteen Tennessee Welcome Centers. This year's 2016 Tennessee Craft Week is slated for October 7-16, 2016. Sponsored by the nonprofit organization Tennessee Craft, TCW shines a spotlight on the collective impact that craft has on Tennessee's culture, community and economy.

In 2015, American Craft Week encompassed events in all fifty states. Several states, including Vermont, Maine and Virginia mounted official celebrations backed by tourism and economic development dollars. In Pennsylvania and Delaware, Visitor and Convention Bureaus coordinated craft-centered events, and large areas in North Carolina and California organized large, regional celebrations.

In addition to the tangibles, such as jobs and tourism that craft creates, there are a host of intangible byproducts of craft that are responsible for the growth of craft. "People love knowing who made an item and seeing the hand of the artist in the work. Craft creates connections, memories, and strong emotions that simply do not exist with mass produced merchandise," explained Diane Sulg.

American Craft Week is open to everyone in the craft industry, from individual artists to galleries, festivals, museums, arts organizations and entire communities. A free Cultural Tourism Kit, a catalyst for large-scale events, is available by request at [email protected].

ACW is a volunteer managed program of CRAFT (Craft Retailers and Artists for Tomorrow) a trade association dedicated to the growth and vitality of the craft industry. For more information, visit Americancraftweek.com and craftonline.org.

ABOUT AMERICAN CRAFT WEEK
The sixth annual American Craft Week will be held Oct. 1-16 in cities and towns across the nation. With thousands of diverse events at galleries, artist studios, museums, schools and festivals, it is the premiere public celebration of handmade craft in America. It is a volunteer managed program of CRAFT (Craft Retailers and Artists for Tomorrow) a trade association dedicated to the growth and vitality of the craft industry. For more information, visit Americancraftweek.com and craftonline.org.

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