2023 Educational Seminars

For as long as there have been pegged joints and matte green glazes, there have been educational seminars designed for Arts and Crafts collectors.

Early Arts and Crafts societies in cities such as Boston, Chicago, and New York gathered to hear speakers reveal the evils of the Industrial Revolution and applaud the virtues of the simple life, one lived among handcrafted furnishings which William Morris described as those “you know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.”

Following in that tradition, the National Arts and Crafts Conference was founded in 1988 as a three-day educational event for Arts and Crafts collectors. It was built on a foundation of seminars presented by researchers, authors, craftsmen, and scholars.

The chosen speakers for the 36th National Arts and Crafts Conference in February 2023 are as follows:

Friday, February 17th

Opening night

8:00pm – 8:15pm

Welcome & Opening Remarks

by Kate Nixon

Director, The National Arts and Crafts Conference & Shows

8:15pm – 9:00pm

“Gustav Stickley

and his Imitators”

by Dr. Jonathan Clancy

9:00pm – 9:50pm

“The Arts & Crafts Movement and Modernism in the Gilded Age”

by Ulysses Dietz

Saturday, February 18th

Morning conference seminars

9:00am – 10:00am

“The Arts & Crafts Movement: Examining the Paper Trail”

by Andre Chaves

10:00am – 11:00am

“A Window in Time:

The Unique style of Arts & Crafts textiles”

by Dianne Ayres

Sunday, February 19th

Morning conference seminars

9:00am – 10:00am

 “The Prairie School Goes West”

by Allen Hazard

10:00am – 11:00am

“Why William Morris?
Art, Craft, and the Pursuit of Happiness for the 21st Century”

by Yoshiko Yamamoto of the Arts & Crafts Press

The 36th National Arts and Crafts Shows

In February 2023, the 8th and 10th floors of the Grove Park Inn’s Vanderbilt Wing will feature the country’s best Arts and Crafts providers and organizations in the country. The three juried shows  – The Antiques Show, The Contemporary Craftsfirms Show and the Books and More Show – feature the highest quality in antique and contemporary Arts and Crafts furniture, pottery and tile, metalwork, textiles, lighting, jewelry, rugs, artwork, and woodblock prints, showcasing hand craftsmanship and simple yet elegant designs.

Below you’ll find walkthroughs of last year’s exhibitor shows.