Handwork, Soulwork: Black Craft in the United States offers a social history of quiltmaking, pottery, basketmaking, and blacksmithing.

Each week, we will explore a different practice, the craftspeople working within that practice, their work, and the material conditions in which they created their work.

We will cover renowned craftspeople with an exhibition and publication history, we will focus on the people whose provenance records and museum interpretive labels identify them as “unknown.”

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Every discipline is formed, shaped, and re-formed by the texts that constitute its discourse. Craft history is still a nascent discipline, and the texts that describe its boundaries and centers are both significant and yet still hungry for better company.

Each week in this course, we will discuss a few key texts that have impacted craft history, and point towards what could come next.

The course requires active participation and will be shaped like a friendly, conversational book club.

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Discover 250 years of American glassmaking. Immigrant craftsman and entrepreneurs initially focused production on the necessities—primarily windows and bottles. Regardless, glassblowers found opportunities to “play” in the factory.

This course will examine how the demand for skills and opportunities for creativity evolved with technology and design trends. Special emphasis is placed on the origins of the American Studio Glass movement and the shift from factory to studio.

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In celebration of National Handmade Day, you are invited to visit one or more of our participating craftspeople on Saturday, April 4 to learn more about NCSW, the work of our artists and craftspeople, and our upcoming workshops.

Each studio will provide a different opportunity, from a small Vermont studio to a larger gathering of artists north of Boston. More details, locations, times, and a complete list of craftspeople are listed on our webstie.

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The National Basketry Organization is an inclusive community of makers and enthusiasts whose mission is to promote awareness, inspire creativity, and foster appreciation for the heritage and artistry of basketry.

Founded in 1999 and incorporated as a non-profit in 2000, NBO has nearly 700 members reflecting the diversity of basket-making in America and extending beyond our borders.

As a non-profit organization, NBO promotes fellowship, provides education and increases awareness of the breadth of basketry.

Included among NBOs members are basket-makers, educators, collectors, gallery owners, students, scholars, curators, craft and art schools as well as museums. The NBO community encompasses a continuum of makers, from those who celebrate basketry’s traditional roots to those stretching the boundaries of materials and processes in contemporary applications.

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The Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America (ABANA) is a community of blacksmiths, artisans, and enthusiasts dedicated to preserving and advancing blacksmithing as both a profession and a hobby.

We provide opportunities for individuals and local affiliate organizations to further their blacksmithing education, strengthen their skills, and hone their craft.

Showcasing the rich and vibrant work of modern smiths while providing historical context is central to our mission as we work to increase awareness of the art and craft amongst design professionals, architects, and the public through community events, exhibitions, publications, and other learning opportunities.

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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.

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Formerly known as the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage’s African American Craft Initiative, the renamed African African American Craft Alliance, brings craft artisans, makers and organizations together to encourage the vitality of African American craft, support efforts to document and present African American work, strengthen networks, and increase access to opportunities and resources.

The African American Craft Alliance began in 2020 as an Initiative of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to address the needs of the African American craft community through workshops, network building, documentation, and public programming. Beginning in 2024, the work has continued and expanded  as the African American Craft Alliance, supported by the Folk Education Network Alliance and working in partnership with a network of African American craft artists, regional and national craft organizations to support the needs and promote the visibility and vitality of African American craft and artists/craftpersons.

The AACA was  founded by textile artist scholar, Fulbright specialist, and Smithsonian curator alumnus, Dr. Diana Baird N’Diaye.

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The Women of Color Quilters Network is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 by Carolyn L. Mazloomi, a nationally-acclaimed quilt artist and lecturer, to foster and preserve the art of quiltmaking among women of color.

It supports its membership through presentations, shared technical information, grant writing, and other services. It offers quilts and fiber art by its members to museums for national and international exhibitions, and researches and documents African American quiltmaking.

Members’ quilts can be found in the permanent collection of museums such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian African American Museum, Wadsworth Museum, and the Boston Fine Arts Museum. WCQN has been recognized by the International Labor Department in Geneva and the United Nations for its developmental programs to help advance women socially and economically.

WCQN educational programs and workshops present the benefits of quilting to audiences of all ages, income levels, ethnic background and learning abilities.

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SNAG is an international non-profit organization committed to advancing jewelry and metalsmithing by inspiring creativity, encouraging education, and fostering community.

Founded in 1969 as The Society of North American Goldsmiths, the organization has evolved to include and promote diverse expressions of jewelry, adornment, body-related objects, sculpture, and installation.

SNAG publishes Metalsmith magazine; facilitates in-person and virtual conferences, events, and exhibitions; provides scholarships for educational advancement; and more.

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The National Academy of Needlearts (NAN) is a nationwide organization devoted to the advancement of embroidery as an art form. Established in 1985, NAN’s goal is to uphold the highest standards in the needlearts by providing excellence in education to all those interested in furthering their embroidery skills as teachers, judges, artists, designers, authors, or technically proficient embroiderers.

NAN’s Assembly for Embroiderers is an annual needlework seminar open to all stitchers—not just those aspiring to become teachers and judges. We offer a diverse and interesting array of classes each year, including canvaswork, surface embroidery, various counted thread techniques, color and design classes, art classes pertinent to the needlearts, and Japanese embroidery. Immediately preceding Assembly, workshops are held for those in certification programs or who wish to learn more about our programs. The Exemplary, our annual needlework showcase, is held in conjunction with the Assembly.

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