Written by: Mina Adsit
American Craft Connects – American Craft Council Conference and Awards 2026, September 4-6, McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Registration is open at https://craftcouncil.org/events/american-craft-connects/
Based in Northeast Minneapolis, the American Craft Council (ACC) is dedicated to promoting understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. Through artist development, craft storytelling, and events, they bring makers and craft appreciators together. Their mission is to “foster livelihoods and ways of living grounded in the artful work of the human hand, creating a more joyful, humane, and regenerative world.”
The ACC is bringing back their biennial conference and awards event this year after a hiatus of several years. The American Craft Connects Conference and Awards 2026 will bring together craftspeople and those interested in craft from around the country to Minneapolis. The presentations, speakers, panels, and events provide an opportunity to see what people and organizations are achieving through craft and community involvement throughout the United States. The selection of Minneapolis to host this year’s conference highlights our community of craftspeople, artists, museums, and art organizations working toward those same goals. Holding the convention in Minneapolis, according to Katie Johnson, American Craft Council’s Director of Programming and Events, was like coming home.
The first day of the convention, Friday, September 4, introduces attendees to local crafts workshops through a series of open houses. Open house venues include Clay Squared to Infinity, Northern Clay Center, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and the Textile Center. In the evening, the Biennial Awards Celebration at the Weisman Art Center, lifetime achievement awards are presented to artists, educators, mentors, curators, and advocates for their work in promoting craft.
Saturday and Sunday conference programming features speakers and over twenty presentations by artists, researchers, and educators. The opening speaker is another Minnesota connection. Dr. Anton Treuer, a Minnesota educator and writer, will speak on how craft is shaped by place, history, identity, and community.
According to Katie Johnson- ACC, three general trends within the craft advocacy community are represented in this year’s programs.
- Craft people and organizations are working to involve diverse communities as makers and appreciators of craft. The outreach to the larger public is discussed in presentations such as Making Change: Artists, Resistance and Community and Connection Through Craft: Deepening our Relationship to Communities.
- There is more interest by people in making a living working with their hands. The “Toolbelt Generation” refers to young people who prefer practical hands-on skills that are less vulnerable to automation over traditional degree-based white-collar jobs and student debt. The presentation Making a Living: Handwork and Workforce Development in the Digital Age will speak directly to this topic.
- Sharing knowledge and ideas that cover a variety of topics is promoted by the Craft Council. Some presentations that emphasize why craft matters and how to protect it are given by artists, educators, museum staff, and arts organizations. The in-person conference promotes networking and the sharing of ideas within the craft community.
American Craft Connects Conference 2026 is an example of how the American Craft Council has a nationwide impact on the practice of craft. Bringing together craft field professionals, artists and makers, and craft appreciators to share their knowledge and experience provides the community with new tools for their own success.
For more information on other events and resources provided by the ACC, visit their website at www.craftcouncil.org.
