The American Craft Council to Present 25 Searchlight Artists at The American Craft Show in Baltimore

Furniture World Magazine

The American Craft Council announced that 25 Searchlight Artists – a category newly created by the Council to feature emerging artists – have been juried into The American Craft Show in Baltimore. They will join more than 800 professional craft artists who will present their high-quality, handmade jewelry, furniture, clothing, home décor and more. The work of Searchlight Artists will be presented together in two separate gallery sections of the show: 10 will present at the Wholesale Show (open to the trade only, February 19-21, 2008) and 15 will present at the Retail Show (open to the public, February 22-24, 2008), both at the Baltimore Convention Center. “Recognizing and encouraging emerging talent is part of the Council’s core mission,” said Mary Fichter, Director of Marketing and Communications of the American Craft Council. “Collectors, curators, gallery owners – everyone looks to the Council to identify new trends in the field. Our investment in bringing these striving artists from across the country and their work to market –some for the very first time – is a means to further promote the understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. We look forward to the contributions this particular group of artists will make in years to come.” 2008 Searchlight Artists to present at the Wholesale Show (Feb 19-21, 2008): Tanya Aguiniga, Anastasia Azure, Stephanie Dearmond, Cynthia Levine, Martha McQuade, Miel-Margarita Paredes, David Piper, Lauren Rossi, Boyd Sugiki, Hisano Takei. 2008 Searchlight Artists to present at the Retail Show (Feb 22-24, 2008): Jennifer Anderson, Megan Auman, Haley Bates, Maggie Casey, Jung-Yeon Choi, Claudia Crisan, Chase De Forest, Sarah Fox, Andy Paiko, Jimin Park, Elizabeth Perkins, Lacey Jane Roberts, Andy Shaw, Munemitsu Taguchi, and Akiko Yokoyama. Nominations for Searchlight Artists were received by department chairs of the country’s most prestigious schools teaching craft (California College of Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Art, RISD, Virginia Commonwealth University, etc.), museums and residencies (Museum of Contemporary Craft, The Clay Studio, etc.) and the editorial team of AMERICAN CRAFT. About the American Craft Council: The American Craft Council is a national, nonprofit public educational organization founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb. The mission of the Council is to promote understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. Programs include the bimonthly magazine American Craft, annual juried shows presenting artists and their work, a 2006 leadership conference, the Aileen Osborn Webb Awards honoring excellence, a specialized library, workshops and seminars. www.craftcouncil.org.