2016 ACC Conference at Kaneko - Register Now

Since the first American Craft Council conference nearly six decades ago, ACC has served the community of contemporary craft by bringing together the field’s many voices to provide thoughtful leadership and perspectives. As the only national organization inclusive of all craft media, ACC is the best convener to assemble the field’s diverse constituents — artists, scholars, educators, students, collectors, enthusiasts, professionals, and amateurs alike.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

ACC’s 2016 national conference will draw together this essential group for a conversation about the current state of craft. The aim is to challenge, inspire, and educate existing members of the craft and design community and engage new audiences through open conversation and dialogue, emphasizing an intergenerational exchange of ideas, priorities, and prerogatives.

Accomplished by a wholly new conference format, “Present Tense” offers two and a half days of active dialogue, featuring three distinct characteristics — pairs of speakers in moderated conversation, scheduled time for participatory common-interest conversations among attendees, and no concurrent programming, allowing all attendees to foster a sense of community through their shared experience. Participants include students, emerging and established artists, researchers and scholars of the field, individuals representing organizations that promote craft, funders and supporters of craft, and those simply interested.

With Kaneko, ACC has found the perfect partner to host this group and provide inspiration for continued conversation. Omaha is a wonderful host city — a burgeoning creative capital in the United States. It’s a community empowered to think differently about a wide range of contemporary issues and with a demonstrated track record of using creative, community-driven projects to bring people together.

“Present Tense” attendees are also invited to attend the concurrent celebration of the 2016 American Craft Council Awards, including installation of the College of Fellows and the presentation of the Gold Medal for Consummate Craftsmanship, the Aileen Osborn Webb Award of Philanthropy, and the Award of Distinction.

REGISTRATION

ACC members may register for $265. New members will pay $335 (which includes a 2-year membership). Student registration is $215. Scholarships are available; students and recent graduates must apply by May 31. See further scholarship information below.

Registration for non-members is $425 and begins June 1.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/present-tense-registration-21689739595?aff=efbnreg

SPEAKERS

Jessica Hische, lettering artist
Tanya Aguiniga, fiber artist
Sarah Archer, independent scholar
Nancy Callan, glass artist
Fabio Fernandez, executive director Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston
Nicholas Galanin, artist
Susie Ganch, jeweler/sculptor
Amos Paul Kennedy, printmaker/activist
Jean McLaughlin, executive director Penland School of Crafts
Tina Oldknow, former Corning Museum of Glass curator
Paul Sacaridiz, ceramist/director Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
Mark Shapiro, potter
Rosanne Somerson, furniture maker/dean RISD
Anna Walker, ‎MFA Houston Windgate Foundation curatorial fellow for contemporary craft
William Warmus, independent scholar

SESSION MODERATORS

Sonya Clark, ACC trustee/chair, Department Craft and Materials Studies Virginia Commonwealth University
Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez, ACC trustee/president North Bennet Street School
Ayumi Horie, ACC trustee/studio potter
Lydia Matthews, ACC trustee/director Curatorial Design Research Lab, Parsons The New School for Design
Bruce Pepich, ACC trustee/executive director and curator of collections Racine Art Museum
Michael Strand, Ceramist
Namita Wiggers, ACC trustee/author and director and co-founder of Critical Craft Forum

SENSE OF THE MEETING

Stuart Kestenbaum, ACC Board of Trustees chair and former director Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

SCHEDULE

Thursday, October 13

12 - 6 p.m. Registration at the Kaneko
6 - 10 p.m. Opening Events: welcome and opening remarks, keynote address, cocktail reception to follow

Friday, October 14

8:30 a.m. Registration at the Kaneko
9:30 - 10 a.m. Welcome / Introduction of concept
10 - 12:10 p.m. Session One – Apprenticeship and Session Two – Instruction/Education
12:15 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 - 4:45 p.m. Session Three – Institutional Leadership and Session Four – Process
4:45 p.m. End Day 1

6-10 p.m. ACC Awards of Excellence Presentation & Reception

Saturday, October 15

8:30 a.m. Registration at the Kaneko
9:30 - 9:45 a.m. Welcome
9:45 - 10:30 a.m. Session Five – Community
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lunch
1 - 4:15 p.m. Session Six – Interpretation and Session Seven – Criticism
4:15 - 4:45 p.m. Coda Presentation
4:50 - 5:15 p.m. State of the Meeting Remarks and Closing
5:15 p.m. Conference Ends

WHERE TO STAY

The ACC has preferred-rate rooms available at the Hyatt Place Downtown Old Market, the Hampton Inn-Omaha, and the Magnolia Hotel-Omaha.

Hyatt Place Omaha Downtown Old Market
$129/night
Register by July 11 for preferred rate
24-hour reservation line: 800-233-1234 (please mention dates and block)
http://omahadowntownoldmarket.place.hyatt.com/omazogacak2016.html

Hampton Inn
$109/night

Booking link: http://group.hamptoninn.com/AmericanCraftCouncil

Magnolia Hotel Omaha
$129/night
Register by September 13 for preferred rate
888-915-1110
https://aws.passkey.com/event/14046415/owner/2544052/home
PARKING: Valet parking is provided for $17 per vehicle per night and $10 for event-day parking.

ACCESSIBILITY

“Present Tense” is accessible to all attendees. Please notify organizers when you register to make arrangements for assistive listening devices, ASL interpretation, wheelchair accessibility, or other accessibility needs.

HOW DO I JOIN THE ACC?

New member registration at the $335 level includes access to the conference and a two-year membership to the American Craft Council.
Membership benefits include:

A one-year subscription (six issues) to American Craft magazine
Free three-day pass to public days at all four national American Craft Council shows (two passes for dual memberships)
Access to the extensive reference collections at the American Craft Council Library

For more information, including benefits of registering as a professional member of the ACC, please visit craftcouncil.org/membership

STUDENT/EMERGING PROFESSIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

The American Craft Council is pleased to announce a call for applications for student/emerging professional scholarships to attend “Present Tense.”

The Council has a strong history of giving emerging makers and scholars opportunities to bring their work to the marketplace and platforms for engaging in ongoing dialogue about the future of craft.

To continue this tradition, the Council will offer $50,000 in full and partial scholarships for the “Present Tense” conference. Students at both the graduate and undergraduate level, as well as new professionals (less than than five years out of school) are invited to participate and are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. Full scholarships include funding for the conference registration fee ($215 - $425) plus a travel and accommodation stipend. Partial scholarships provide for the registration fee, and may or may not include a travel or accommodation stipend.

Eligibility

All candidates must be:

A full-time student currently enrolled in an art school or university OR a new professional within five years of graduation. Both graduate and undergraduate students are invited to apply.
Must be a current member of the American Craft Council

Criteria

The scholarships committee will take into consideration the following criteria when considering applicants:

Evidence of commitment to and interest in the craft field
Interest in contributing to the dialogue and scholarship of the field at large
Potential to benefit professionally from attendance at the conference
Financial need

Requirements

Scholarship recipients are required to attend the entire conference. To help us ensure the ongoing improvement of the scholarship program, all scholarship winners will be required to submit a post-conference evaluation by November 11, 2016.

How to apply

The deadline for scholarship applications is May 31, and applicants will be notified via email by July 1. Recipients will be selected by a committee. Both local and national scholarships will be awarded.

Please follow the link to submit your application: http://goo.gl/forms/adjm0AZUbS.