ACE is the place!

ACE begins today!!!

After our preview party tonight, the artists, ACE staffers and volunteers are thrilled to kick off the 25th Annual American Craft Exposition Friday at Northwestern University’s Henry Crown Pavilion in Evanston, Illinois.

We’ve gotten great press leading up to the event, including this most recent plug from the Northwest Herald’s Kurt Begalka:

This juried indoor exposition of museum-quality items features one-of-a-kind baskets, ceramics, fiber decorative, fiber wearable, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media and wood crafts. Just 150 artists are gleaned from 1,000 applications each year. Exhibitors include whimsical whirligig aficionado James Eaton of Sleepy Hollow; metalsmiths Jack and Alice McLean of Johnsburg and fiber artist Chris Roberts-Antieau of Manchester, Mich. I promise, you are in for a treat.

To read more, click here.

We hope to see you at ACE this weekend! Tickets are $15 for adults at the door, $5 for children younger than 10. All proceeds benefit breast and ovarian cancer research.

P.S. ACE’s hours:

Friday, Aug. 28: 10am-8pm

Saturday, Aug. 29: 10am-6pm

Sunday, Aug. 30: 11am-5pm

ACE is located at The Henry Crown Sports Pavillion at Northwestern University, 2311 N. Campus Drive, Evanston, Illlinois.

American Craft Exposition founder creates a collector’s home — chicagotribune.com

Just one more day until the ACE preview party! Here’s a great Chicago Tribune profile of our founder, Chris Robb, to get you fired up for ACE, which officially begins this Friday, August 28th:

Chris Robb traces her love of art to an art course she and her future husband, Bill, took as seniors at Northwestern. It was, she says, the start of a commitment they have made to art.

“The opportunity to be involved with the people involved in crafts and their objects has really changed our lives,” she says.

Click here to read more…

25 Years of Handcrafted Art

ACE recently published  “These Hands Tell a Story: 25 Years of Handcrafted Art.” This “coffee table” book  features original photos of 25 leading artists who have participated in the American Craft Exposition since its inception.

“These Hands” features award-winning artists Cliff Lee and Josh Simpson, whose work appears in the White House Collection of American Crafts, and MacArthur Foundation Fellow, or “genius grant” winner, Mary Jackson.

“The American Craft Exposition has been a highlight of the American craft scene for the last 25 years and represents the absolute pinnacle of craft shows,” states Simpson.

Through sales of “These Hands,” ACE hopes not only to broaden awareness about the tradition of fine craft, but also to further its charitable mission. Proceeds from this book and the funds raised by ACE will support of breast and ovarian cancer research programs at NorthShore University HealthSystem.

The book is available for $25. To reserve a copy, either visit the ACE Web site or  contact The Auxiliary of NorthShore University HealthSystem at Evanston & Glenbrook Hospitals by emailing craft@northshore.org or calling (847) 570-5095.