medium

: Clay

Smithsonian Craft Show 2025 at the National Building Museum, Washington, DC. Oxford St. Photography

The Smithsonian Women’s Committee is an all-volunteer auxiliary organization within the Smithsonian Institution.  To fulfill its mission of supporting the Smithsonian, the Committee produces the spring Smithsonian Craft Show as well as Craft2Wear, a fall show.

The Craft Show is a premier showcase for the finest American hand-crafted contemporary craft and design. Held in Washington, DC, annually, the Craft Show features a show and sale of works by 120 superb craft artists who are selected by independent jurors.  Also at the Craft Show, the Smithsonian presents its Visionary Award to a craft artist who is at the pinnacle of his or her medium.

The Craft2Wear show provides collectors and casual shoppers the opportunity to acquire unique and interesting wearables created by outstanding craft artists. Proceeds from both shows are used to fund grants to the Smithsonian for its museums, research centers, and the National Zoo.

Washington,
DC
Arts/Cultural Organization Museum
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Ming Rose. Courtesy of the artist

Alice Ballard’s Finding Solace presents an organic landscape of ceramic sculpture inspired by seeds, pods, and other natural forms.

Known for her meditative approach and deep reverence for nature’s cycles of growth and renewal, Ballard’s work explores the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world.

This exhibition celebrates a lifetime devoted to observing life’s quiet metamorphoses and translating them into sculptural poetry in clay.

Biloxi,
MS
Exhibitions + Shows Workshops + Courses
Clay
Installation view of Convergence: Health & Creativity – New Work by Anne Labovitz. Plains Art Museum, 2024-25. Photo by Bailey Bolton & Eric Muller

Plains Art Museum is the largest and only American Alliance of Museums accredited art museum in the state of North Dakota. It is also the first, and only, Smithsonian Affiliate. We bring people and art together in ways that spark connection, conversation, and change.

Fargo,
ND
Museum
Clay Fiber Mixed Media Other Paper
Resident Building at South Bear School - the "Old Aase Haugen Home". Marguerite Schwarz

South Bear School is a Fine Arts Folk School in rural Northeast Iowa, committed to passing on the skills and artistic values set down by the Bauhaus and previous artistic masters of that legacy.

Throughout the year, South Bear hosts arts, nature, and cultural events such as music fests, makers markets, studio tours and film showings.

The school’s mission is to teach students the life skills of fine arts, appreciation of nature’s beauty and artistic value, and foster community connection, while also giving students the freedom to branch out and develop their personal artistic vocabulary.

South Bear stands apart for its commitment to tradition, its inspiring natural setting, and its vibrant community of artists and learners. Our lineage traces back to Marguerite Wildenhain and the Bauhaus movement, and before that a lineage of 500 years of the German Potters’ Guild system.

South Bear maintains a profound respect for craftsmanship and functional beauty.

Decorah,
IA
Arts/Cultural Organization Craft School
Clay Fiber Mixed Media Other
Spring Fair brings out the crowds! Todd Herzberg

This premier Nashville tradition celebrates and supports American handmade crafts on the lawn in Centennial Park. Shop unique, finely crafted artwork directly from juried, award-winning Tennessee artists. You’ll meet the artist, learn what inspires them, and discover how they take raw materials and transform them into fine crafts.

In addition to the high-quality crafts, visitors enjoy hands-on activities in our Kids’ Tent, local food vendors, and demonstrations from professional artisans.

Nashville,
TN
Marketplaces + Festivals
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Fall Fair Exhbitors set up their booths adjacent to Nashville's Parthenon. Todd Herzberg

Every fall this premier Nashville event celebrates and supports handmade American crafts at Centennial Park.  Shop one-of-a-kind, finely crafted artwork directly from juried, award-winning artists from across the country.  Meet the artists and learn what inspires them. Discover how they transform raw materials into fine crafts.

In addition to the high-quality crafts, visitors enjoy hands-on activities in our Kids’ Tent, local food vendors, and demonstrations from professional artists.

Nashville,
TN
Marketplaces + Festivals
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Details of 2024 Best of Tennessee Award winners: L-R Michael Anderson, Carlton Wilkinson, Stephen Forrester, Shannon Ferguson, Donna Risso. Images provided by the artists.

The Best of Tennessee Craft exhibition is a state-wide, juried, biennial exhibition presented by Tennessee Craft, the most visible and respected craft organization in the State. The exhibition celebrates contemporary and traditional crafts and showcases the high standard of excellence and design among Tennessee craft artists.

We are honored to be partnering with the Art Museum of the University of Memphis for this prestigious biennial event.

Memphis,
TN
Exhibitions + Shows Workshops + Courses
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Amber Jensen weaves in her studio. Amber Jensen, photo by Caroline Yang

On July 18-19, 2026, the American Craft Council will launch National Craft Open Studios Weekend — a first-of-its-kind, nationwide celebration inviting the public into the creative spaces of more than 1,500 craft artists across the country.

This two-day event will offer guests a rare glimpse into the processes, tools, and inspiration that shape how handmade works are made, and provide artists critical support in their sales season.

National
Artist Open Studio Celebrations + Gatherings
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Furnace Stack at WheatonArts in Millville, NJ. Photo by WheatonArts

WheatonArts engages artists and audiences in an evolving exploration of creativity through diverse programs, exhibitions, educational initiatives, residencies, and other opportunities for artists.

With over five decades of history, WheatonArts is renowned regionally, nationally, and internationally for its unique collections and programs.

Located in Millville, the birthplace of America’s glass industry, WheatonArts houses the Museum of American Glass, featuring the most comprehensive collections of American glass, and is one of only ten museums in New Jersey to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Millville,
NJ
Arts/Cultural Organization Museum
Clay Glass Mixed Media
Pat Courtney Gold, (Wasco/Tlingit, 1939–2022), Sally’s Hidden Secret, 1999, cotton and chenille yarn, beads, and denim rim, 6¾” x 5”. Museum purchase with funds provided by Wildhorse Casino, Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art

During 2026, Maryhill Museum of Art’s Indigenous Peoples of North America Gallery will feature contemporary works by Cara Romero (Chemehuevi, b. 1977), Pat Courtney Gold (Wasco/Tlingit, 1939–2022), and other artists. Its overall display of 750+ items showcases baskets from throughout the United States and beadwork from the interior Pacific Northwest.

Newly installed cases featuring objects from the Great Basin, Woodlands/Great Lakes, and Plains are also on view.

Goldendale,
WA
Exhibitions + Shows
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Wood

Mentors + Apprentices: Work from the 2026 Craft Apprentice Program.

The Maine Crafts Association, in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, announce the opening of the 11th annual Craft Apprentice Program Capstone Exhibition at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, opening October 2, 2026 from 5-7pm.

The exhibition features new work made over seven months by mentors and apprentices in Maine and New Hampshire.

Edgecomb,
ME
Celebrations + Gatherings Exhibitions + Shows
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Paper Wood
Anchorage Museum entrance in winter. Credit: Anchorage Museum

The Anchorage Museum is a place of ideas and transformation, narratives and perspectives, and resilient and relevant communities, responsive to a rapidly changing world toward a better future for all.

Our mission is to be a museum for people, place, planet, and potential, in service of a sustainable and equitable North, with creativity and imagination for what is possible.

Located in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, the museum sits on the traditional homeland of the Eklutna Dena’ina and is committed to recognizing and honoring the land, culture, and language of the Dena’ina people.

Anchorage,
AK
Museum
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Paper Wood
The American Swedish Institute. ASI

The American Swedish Institute is one of the leading museums and cultural centers in Minnesota offering transformative arts and culture experiences centered around learning, reflection, and collaboration. Explore our historic Turnblad Mansion, Minnesota’s only castle—a must-see gem on the National Register of Historic Places.

Discover Nordic art and craft and immerse yourself in our museum exhibitions and collections of Swedish American culture and history. Learn about our variety of art, handcrafts, food, language programs, and more through workshops and events for all ages.

Your experience won’t be complete without browsing our unique items in our museum gift shop and dining at ASI’s award-winning restaurant FIKA Café featuring a seasonally inspired New Nordic menu.

Minneapolis,
MN
Arts/Cultural Organization Museum
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Paper Wood
Intuit Art Museum. Courtesy of Intuit Art Museum

Intuit Art Museum (IAM) champions the diverse voices of self-taught art, welcoming both new and familiar audiences.

Located in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, Intuit is a premier museum of self-taught art. IAM collects and exhibits work by artists who often work outside the mainstream due to societal, economic, or geographic barriers that have prevented them from pursuing formal training in the arts. Yet, they have developed a sustained artistic practice.

The museum’s mission is grounded in the ethos that the instinct to create is universal, and the arts must embrace, represent and be accessible to all.

Chicago,
IL
Arts/Cultural Organization Museum
Clay Fiber Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood
Photo inside of the Lipscomb Art Gallery at the South Carolina State Museum. Courtesy of the South Carolina State Museum

This professionally juried-exhibition highlights South Carolina’s contemporary craft scene as part of the national Handwork 2026 initiative.

Featuring 10–12 artists working in fiber, ceramics, wood, and mixed media, the show emphasizes both heritage and innovation. Many of the works will be created specifically for this exhibition, underscoring the ongoing evolution of craft practices in the state.

Columbia,
SC
Celebrations + Gatherings Exhibitions + Shows Talks + Conferences
Clay Fiber Glass Metal Mixed Media Other Paper Wood