i made sure to take notes everyday of the show so that i could bring back a full report. my morning notes, of course, are much more detailed than my notes from the evening hours of each day. i’m so dissapointed that i could not leave my booth as often as i would have liked to take photos and explore! of course, most of the photos are dark and blurry due to the convention center lighting. i’ll share in a little photo montage post sometime this week. . . stay tuned for that!
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i’ll cut right to the chase- exhibiting in the AltCraft section of ACC was a fabulous experience. i would recommend it to anyone who is interested in “testing the waters” of the American Craft Council show.
i received a raised table complete with a table skirt, electricity, and track lighting rig. i really appreciated this generous table package- having the lighting and table skirt was fabulous! (i was pretty gleeful about this.) I would have really liked to see flooring in our section. additionally, i would have preferred a barrier of some sort (wall or drape) behind my booth to block out the visual of the greasy refreshments and condiments stand behind me. i had members of the local press stop by to photograph me in my booth, but they found it difficult to work a good shot in due to the not-so-glamourous background. . . that was very disappointing. needless to say, i was none too happy with the location of the AltCraft market butting up against the french fry and pizza stand. another highlight of the show, the Searchlight Artists’ section, received carpeting along with a beautiful full hardwall treatment (painted or wallpapered). gosh, i was envious. i hope that in the future, the AltCraft market receives this kind of detailed-attention.
most frequently asked questions:
what is alternative craft?
why are all of you roped off in this section?
the ACC’s description of the alternative craft section :
This section features rising indie crafters whose work illustrates the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning new handmade movement, in a shared market-style space.
innovative techniques and materials? together we were painters, fiber artists, ceramicists, glass blowers, metalsmiths, silkscreeners, leather workers and bookmakers. techniques and materials with a long craft history, if you ask me. . .
the only true answer that i knew to give is that, simply, we were all first time exhibitors at the show. and when some folks kindly pointed out that there were first time exhibitors out on the show floor and not in our section, i answered (again, simply and i assure you, tactfully) that we were paying a seriously reduced fee to have an 8′ x 2′ table in this shared space instead of a more glamorous 10′ x 10′ booth.
what else makes me an AltCrafter?
i have no idea anymore (did i ever)!?
during the second day of the show, i had a great discussion with a VCU student (more on the fab VCU and SCAD School to Market booths in another post), we’ll call him R. (hello, R!) i think we may have come to the conclusion that perhaps it is an alternative aesthetic that AltCrafters have. for those that walked the show, what do you think?
i met and know many people who came to the American Craft Council show for the first time to see the Alternative Craft section. they expressed their surprise at the differences in aesthetics and attitudes- that they could not relate to the majority of the work on the main show floor and that it was so quiet and serious (no music :)! )- unlike any of the craft shows they had been to previously.
i am very grateful for my experience at the ACC show. sure, there was still a little residue of last year’s “grumbles” from a select few exhibitors, but to be frank, i didn’t allow myself to hear it or care. i had a GREAT time. I can only speak for myself here, but not only did i earn a little bit of profit (just a little- maybe i’ll recap sales in part 2!), i received so much advice and support on the new direction my work is taking from some who have been exhibiting at the show for years as well as from my fellow AltCrafters and i made valuable contacts. I would have never considered applying for the show, but after having this little sneek peak, i’m going to try for a booth on the show floor next year.
i want to thank the ACC for offering this opportunity to us. i hope that future AltCraft markets will get better and better. i suppose by that, i mean, i hope that the AltCraft section will be the pride of the show. I also think it would be advantageous for each of the AltCrafters to be paired up with a seasoned ACC exhibitor for some mutual “brain-picking” and ambassadorship. 
i missed the exhibitor meeting on sunday morning (missed the memo?), but i will be sure to forward these thoughts and suggestions on. if you have any, please leave them in the comments section and i will forward those on as well!
thanks to Erika Jo Brown for coordinating the market and checking up on me a few times a day! thank you also to Monica Hampton, Director of Education at the American Craft Council for your support throughout the days! and thanks to Andrew Wagner, Editor of American Craft Mag for sporting a mustachio, highlighting some AltCrafters on the American Craft Mag blog (video footage!) and your support!
please stay tuned for my top picks of the show, what i bought, traded, wish i could have bought and other fun and not so serious tidbits!
after an exhausting, but incredibly inspiring weekend, i cannot wait to get back into the studio to work!!!! WAAHOOO!
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links galore:
american craft council
american craft magazine
friends and mentors at ACC:
beth pohlman
juliet ames
amy tavern
arthur hash
ben neubauer
VCU
SCAD
eric silva
rebound designs
pistolstitched
hellocraft
tina seamonster
so tired!
. a warning to those who are thinking of trying PONOKO out- it takes FOREVER to produce your design!!!
