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…

Welcome to the American Craft Exposition blog!

Welcome to the American Craft Exposition blog! The American Craft Exposition (ACE) is busy preparing for our event Aug. 28-30, 2009 in Evanston, Illinois.

ACE is one of the nation’s premier fine craft shows.

Robert Balsley, ACE 2009 Co-Chairs Barbara Balsley and Diane Pekow, and Jerry Pekow

Presented by the Auxiliary of North Shore University Health System, ACE is a major fundraiser supporting breast and ovarian cancer care and research.

This blog aims to celebrate ACE’s efforts throughout the year and highlight the work of fine-craft artisans all over the world.