Just in time for fall foliage, this year as part of Vermont’s effort to raise national awareness of craft in Vermont, the state is a major sponsor of the 5th Anniversary of American Craft WeekOctober 3-12, a weeklong celebration of craft in America in all 50 states. The sponsorship is a collaborative effort of the Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Crafts Council, the Department of Tourism and Marketing and Vermont Hand Crafters.
Fall foliage visitors and residents will find color outside and inside and can choose from among more than 30 special events, festivals and exhibits, including curated craft shows, open studio events featuring more than 100 of Vermont’s most talented craft artisans and artists, and demonstrations, workshops and classes.
A proclamation by Governor Peter Shumlin declaring October 3-12, 2014, “Vermont Celebrates American Craft Week” will kick off the celebration. Some of the special events include: Participation by all Vermont State Craft Centers including Frog Hollow, named in 1975 as the first state craft center in the nation. Three out of five Craft Centers are producing special programs and the other two are participating in Open Studio Weekend. Several open studios tours are participants including the statewide Fall Open Studio Weekend on October 4 and 5 and on Thanksgiving Weekend, the 36th Annual Putney Craft Tour, a Top Ten Winter Event as named by the Vermont Chamber – “…the oldest continuous craft tour in the U.S.”
In addition, a number of arts & crafts fairs/festivals are also participants, including the Manchester Fall Art & Craft Festival October 3-5, and the Stowe Foliage Art & Craft Festival October 10-12. These craft shows follow in the tradition of the first, high-quality craft show held in Stowe in 1960 by the Allied Craftsmen of Vermont which eventually grew into the American Craft Council Show now held annually in Baltimore, MD.
“American Craft enriches our homes, wardrobes, offices and public spaces. It contributes to our nation's economy, our balance of trade, and the fabric of our national history,” says Diane Sulg, co-chair of American Craft Week. “By taking part in the celebration, people are joining in on the trend of buying artisan and locally made products.”
Five years ago, the American craft industry decided it was time to do something to bring more visibility to the industry that was facing challenges as the global market and advanced technology brought more competition for the consumer’s dollar. Sulg, hatched the idea to have a national weeklong celebration to promote the wonders, value, innovations and traditions of American made craft. She says, “Other industries tout their products...now it’s time to showcase the American craft industry with a nationwide celebration.”
“In Vermont, says Sulg, “craft provides a “sense of place” and an exciting lead-in to 2015, “The Year of Art” in Vermont (the Vermont Arts Council was founded several months before the National Endowment for the Arts—both organizations will be celebrating their anniversaries this year -- Vermont Crafts Council will be celebrating its 25th anniversary; the Vermont Arts Council will be celebrating its 50th.”
Finally, given the growing popularity of the program, there has also been increasing interest and participation by craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, the Vermont Fresh Network (“Homegrown tastes better on Handmade”), Vermont Public Radio and educational institutions/schools.
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