American Craft is a wish book that helps creative people to see the world with fresh eyes. Its memorable stories and images inspire readers to craft a conscientious, expressive life they feel good about. The magazine celebrates the age-old human impulse to make things by hand, in order to communicate, learn, heal, and connect.

The American Craft Council is a national, nonprofit 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 on craft, the Aileen Osborn Webb Awards honoring excellence, a specialized library, workshops and seminars.

The Council is today the leading voice for craft in America, celebrating the remarkable achievement of the many gifted artists working in the media of clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood and other materials. Programs through which the Council supports the field include the bimonthly magazine American Craft, annual retail and wholesale shows, and a special library on contemporary craft, education grants, workshops, seminars and other services to the public.

As a membership organization, the Council welcomes those with an interest in or curiosity about the crafts. Many institutions and individuals belong to the Council—not only artists, but teachers, scholars, collectors, gallery owners and professionals in several fields, in the U.S. and abroad. This diversity is well represented in the Council’s governance through its Board of Trustees, which is elected annually by the members.

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Letters to the Editor
American Craft
1224 Marshall Street NE, Suite 200
Minneapolis, MN 55413
1.800.836.3470
[email protected]

Monica Moses
Editor in Chief
[email protected]

Julie K. Hanus
Senior Editor
[email protected]

Mary K. Baumann
Will Hopkins
Creative Directors

Elizabeth Ryan
Interactive Editor
[email protected]

Judy Arginteanu
Copy Editor

Joyce Lovelace
Contributing Editor

Clint Greene
Designer

All Events Listings Queries to
Andrew Zoellner
Assistant Editor
612.206.3126
[email protected]

All Advertising Queries to
Joanne Smith
Advertising Sales Manager
1.800.836.3470 x3122
[email protected]

All Back Issue Queries to
Alanna Nissen
Office Coordinator
1.800.836.3470 x3120
[email protected]

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WRITER'S GUIDELINES

American Craft aims to be a wish book that helps creative people to see the world with fresh eyes. Its stories and images should inspire readers to craft a conscientious, expressive life they feel good about. The magazine celebrates the age-old human impulse to make things by hand, in order to communicate, learn, heal and connect.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The magazine is aimed at independent thinkers with a keen interest in the creative process. These readers recognize the many design choices they have in everyday life, including their creative pursuits, the artful objects in their homes and workplaces, the clothing they wear and the media they engage with. American Craft helps readers make excellent, constructive, creative choices. The core audience values community, sustainability, quality and authenticity.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

We value freelancers who can write for a general creative audience with clarity and insight. We love good storytelling that explores a craft artist's struggles, doubts, determination and triumphs. We like to read about how craft shows up in modern life - particularly if the writing is bright and accessible. Writers should take special care, when touching on craft theory or history, to write clearly, for a non-academic audience.

If we contract with you to write a piece for the magazine, we will agree on a deadline and ask that you meet it, sign a very reasonable contract and be open to questions and editing. We will also ask your help in calling in images as you work on the story.

MORE SPECIFICALLY

We welcome email pitches that sum up in a paragraph the most interesting aspects of a story subject. Please include an image or images with your pitch. The magazine must be not only well-written but also visually dazzling; we generally need to see images before we agree to a story idea.

We are interested in:
• Artists who use unusual materials
• Artists who've traveled unusual paths in their work
• New artists whose work is remarkable
• Veteran artists with impressive work that has evolved over a lifetime
• Artists for whom craft has been a means for healing and learning about life
• Handmade goods that are stylish, innovative and affordable
• Collaborative artist groups and projects
• Craft that brings together a community for a good purpose
• Craft that reflects values of sustainability and community
• People whose work might not be considered studio craft but who bring a sort of craft devotion to their creative pursuits
• People who've collected craft and art objects in a beautiful living space
• U.S. or foreign locales that offer a number of craft destinations
• Galleries that specialize in craft
• Books, films and exhibits our readers would find interesting
• Schools and organizations advancing craft in interesting ways

DEPARTMENTS

Product Placement: Stylish, inventive, affordable handmade goods and the people who make them. 500 words

Shop Talk: Q&A with owners of galleries who offer craft objects, on their business, the artists they represent and their clientele. 500 words

Book Review: Brief review of book of interest to general craft lovers. 250 words

On Our Radar: Emerging artist doing remarkable work. 500 words

Org/edu: School or organization advancing craft in interesting ways. 500 words

Personal Paths: Artist doing very individual, even idiosyncratic, work from a personal motivation. 750 words.

Material Matters: Artist using unusual material to make amazing craft. 500 words

Review: Review of a show of interest to our readership. 500 words

Wide World of Craft: Travel destination for craft lovers, providing an overall sense of what is different about the city or place. 750 words.

Features: In-depth piece or set of pieces that tells a particularly compelling story. May be an artist profile or a trend piece encompassing several artists. 750+ words.

Monica Moses, Editor in Chief
[email protected]

Julie K. Hanus, Senior Editor
[email protected]