Get Inspired at the 40th Annual American Craft Council Show

For the past 40 years, the American Craft Council has annually held the largest showcase of handmade creations in the western United States. This year the San Francisco show is expected to attract more than 10,000 collectors and enthusiasts to engage with more than 220 of the best up-and-coming jewelry, apparel, furniture and home decor artists.

Special showcases include “Make Room: Modern Design Meets Craft — 4 Elements,” featuring interior designs inspired by earth, air, water and fire; “Hip Pop,” showcasing pop-up home decor shops; “Let’s Make,” featuring hands-on craft-making activities along with food and beverage tastings; and “American Craft Charm Collection,” featuring handmade jewelry.

Event at a Glance
Where: Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion, San Francisco
When: Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2
Hours: Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $14 for a one-day pass

Last year’s featured interior design showcase will give you a taste of what to expect at this year’s show. The retro-themed room, by interior designer Alison Damonte, was inspired by two of her favorite artists. Fiber artist and textile designer Ealish Wilson’s work created the interesting design of the back wall, while ceramicist Lilith Rockett’s two vases were prominently displayed on the coffee table.


One of the cool things about going to an event featuring up-and-coming artists is that you get to learn the design process.

The sketch shown here is a rendering of a room by one of this year’s attending interior designers, Kimball Starr. The completed physical room will be displayed in the featured interior design showcase, “Make Room: Modern Design Meets Craft — 4 Elements.” In the vignette seen here, Starr portrays the element of fire.

The designer was inspired by Clark Renfort’s Nouveau Red lamp (at right in the sketch) and Mark Hendrickson’s Floral Pod Series #3 vase (front and center on the table).


Victor DiNovi’s Teardrop bench, shown here, will be a main component of Starr’s design, tying together the room’s concept with functionality.

“From the destruction of fire comes newness and rebirth in nature,” Starr says. “I chose these organically shaped craft pieces so they appear as if they’ve grown up out of the lava bed. It is symbolic of beacons of beauty that result after a destructive fire.”


Also part of the 2015 “Make Room” showcase is designer Gustav Carlson’s crisp, clean concept, inspired by the element of air. “I selected the element air as it represents to me the very idea of foundation: the breath of life,” Carlson says.

His design inspiration came from the three art pieces on the back wall (left to right): James Aarons’ Cocoon, Juline Beier’s Beginnings and Book of Rounds.


Jeni Gamble has used deep greens and light woods in her room rendering, depicting the earth element for this year’s show. She took her inspiration from Christine Hausserman’s Concentric painting (on the right wall) and designer Roger Combs’ Pacific Rim stools (in the foreground and background).

“We chose the earth element because our primary material, wood, represents trees that are all around us in nature,” Gamble says. “The color green is a strong component of our design because it is directly correlated to Earth and creates a punch of glamour.”

All the completed rooms will be featured in the “Make Room” showcase.

See light wood vs. dark wood


At the 2014 American Craft Council show in San Francisco, April Powers balanced modern style with classic colors to create an ideal room in which to relax and enjoy a craft cocktail. She used artist Shelley Martin’s vases on the cocktail cart for an extra touch of elegance.

See more on home bars


This vignette by John K. Anderson, also from last year’s show, features contrasting shapes and contrasting colors. Anderson’s creation was inspired by Elliot Stith’s coffee table (center) and artist Kris Marubayashi’s Caldera (circular shapes on wall).


Jiun Ho, another 2014 featured designer, created this texturally rich living space. He was inspired by the decorative wall hanging on the right side of the room, by Katheryn Holt, as well as the basket on the table, by Emily Dvorin.

For more information and to purchase tickets to the American Craft Council Show in San Francisco this Friday through Sunday, visit the event website.

Can’t attend the show? Share your own crafty creations in the Comments section.

More: Simple Pleasures: Crafting for Fun and Relaxation

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