Guest blog by Carol Sauvion

In the fall of 2021, during a conversation with Harriett Green at a virtual American Craft Council Board meeting, we had a moment to discuss the crafts and how to increase awareness of the history and the work being done in the present day. Harriett Green, an ACC Trustee, asked the group if anyone had heard of Year of American Craft, a national celebration that took place in 1993, when President and Mrs. Clinton took up President Bush’s Proclamation and became involved in the events for craft, beginning with the White House Collection of American Craft, an exhibition that opened at the White House in December of 1993 and traveled for several years. I replied to Harriett that I was familiar with Year of American Craft because we at Craft in America had done an archival segment on the topic for our Democracy episode. Harriett replied that we should have another Year of American Craft. I agreed!

After Harriett and I discussed a way forward, we decided to form a Planning Committee for a second Year of American Craft, which we thought would be a great initiative to celebrate our Semiquincentennial in 2026. We each invited three people to join the Planning Committee; Harriett chose three of the American Craft Council board; Lynn Pollard, Jean McLaughlin and a third person who had to leave the committee because of personal obligations. I chose three members of the Craft in America board: Lois Jecklin, Ann Pifer, and Consuelo Jimenez Underwood. Together, we organized an Announcement which contained the projects we hoped to put in place for the initiative.

More than four years have passed since that early beginning and many Handwork’s projects have become a reality! 

The latest Announcement for Handwork 2026 which lists over 270 Participants from throughout the US and Puerto Rico! “Handwork: Contemporary Craft from the Renwick Collection” installation will open at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in November 2026. It will include the 10 acquisitions that Handwork 2026 has secured for the Renwick. The Handwork 2026 website is up and filled with information from our Participants. Exhibitions are open or set to open this year. The Handwork book, Handwork: Handcrafted Objects that Made America, is set to be released in June of 2026. The education component has turned into a robust combination of education guides for K-12 students and an artist residency program in 10 colleges and universities. There is still much to complete and accomplish, but we are thrilled with our progress!