Center for Craft Acquires vast archive from the American Craft Council
As the Center for Craft enters its third decade in downtown Asheville with the unveiling of its expanded Materials collection, the organization’s resources for the craft community will be growing even further with the announced acquisition of the library and archives collections of the Minneapolis-based American Craft Council. “We’re pleased to have found such a well-positioned partner to build on ACC’s venerable legacy,” says ACC’s Executive Director Andrea Specht. She mentions the Council’s history of craft scholarship, which will be expanded, and the great potential for “complementary programs and activities.” The Council’s holdings comprise 25,000 digital assets, physical records, and print collection of some 20,000 books; the Center for Craft’s acquisition comes as it marks the twentieth anniversary of its Craft Research Fund, which has awarded more than $2 million since 2005 to craft projects all over the country.
The ACC archive has long been recognized as one of the country’s premier resources for researching and discovering the history of contemporary American craft and its makers. The archives primarily encompass the years from the end of the World War II to the present, along with special collections of artist files, posters, and monographs on craft artists from around the country, created from the early 1960s to the present. It’s a far cry from the limited resources available as recently as 15 years ago, when just a handful of literature could be found. “Over the past decade, a field of craft studies has emerged and now there are more craft scholars and curators than ever before,” says the CFC’s Curator and Program Director Marilyn Zapf. “Continued access to and expansion of one of the most comprehensive collections of studio craft archives is critical to ensure that progress in craft studies will continue into the future.”
While the digital portion of the archive could be available to the public by the end of this year, the physical collection will take longer to move from the Midwest to Asheville and organized under the guidance of a new Head of Archives and Special Collections, yet to be hired. An opening celebration for the entire collection is planned for 2028…