ACC Closes West Springfield Show compiled by Kimberly Geib

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American Craft Council 72 Spring St. New York, NY 10012 (212) 274-0630 www.craftcouncil.org

The American Craft Council (ACC) marked the end of an era this June, closing its long-running West Springfield show. The show's closing ends a period of craft history that began in 1966 when the ACC held its first craft show in Stowe, Vt. Three years later the show moved to Bennington, Vt., and then to Rhinebeck, N.Y., in 1973. The show moved to West Springfield in 1984.

The decision to close the show was a direct result of decreasing public attendance and subsequent artist income.

When the show was first launched, opportunities for artists to sell work in the New England area were generally limited. In accordance with its mission, ACC sought to establish a market for the sale of fine crafts, not only to provide an income for local craft artists, but also to educate the buying public about handcrafted works of art.

Since then, the number of viable craft shows and galleries has increased dramatically, offering numerous options to artists in the region. West Springfield is no longer the only choice for an early summer venue. Subsequently, the West Springfield venue slowly became less critical to the needs of both artists and the retail public.

ACC Executive Director Jeffrey Larris remarked, "While we are sad to see the end of a 35-year ACC tradition, we are joyful that our efforts have spawned numerous opportunities for craft artists to show in public exhibitions, artists cooperative spaces and commercial galleries."

ACC officials said they would consider starting a new show in another market, but that they have no specific plans at this point.

Kimberly Geib is editorial assistant of The Crafts Report.

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