Society of Arts and Crafts preps for its show season

The Society of Arts and Crafts is currently preparing for its upcoming show season, which includes CraftBoston Holiday scheduled for Dec. 5-7 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston and CraftBoston Spring held March 20-22, 2015 at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston.

The shows are juried contemporary craft shows offering a range of handcrafted items in various working mediums including furniture, glass, fiber, and more.

Marketing and communications manager Lisa Mackin says CraftBoston Holiday normally attracts between 6,000 to 8,000 attendees and has around 175 exhibitors.

“We do see quite a few sales in the furniture category, which has many other types of wood art in it at this show. One nice thing about this category is that it appeals to the male audience as well as the women,” Mackin says.

“Our exhibitors are mainly from New England but come from all over the country.”

The show will also feature a display of student’s work from the North Bennet Street School in Boston.

CraftBoston Spring is capped at about 90 exhibitors to offer a more intimate showing and shopping experience, according to the society.

Exhibitor applications are accepted from both established and emerging artists making original work that shows exemplary execution of design, quality craftsmanship, creative use of materials, and aesthetic qualities. Artists are asked to submit an artist statement and a total of five digital images that best represent their work.

Beantown location

The New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association has new gallery space on Boston’s Newbury Street.

“Through the generosity of our partners, Jamestown and the Newbury Collection, we have been given a space on Newbury Street in Boston to help us raise awareness of our work and fund our educational initiatives,” guild chairman Richard Oedel says. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to exhibit in Boston, a city with such rich cultural offerings, and we are deeply appreciative of our partners’ support.”

The opening was celebrated with an Aug. 1-15 exhibit, “Furniture Masters: Artistic Visions,” featuring work by 16 members and several invited artists.

Contacts

New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association, P.O. Box 5733, Manchester, NH 03108. Tel: 603-898-0242. www.furnituremasters.org

The Society of Arts and Crafts, 175 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116. Tel: 617-266-1810. www.societyofcrafts.org

This article originally appeared in the September 2014 issue.