Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) is conducting a field scan of the craft guilds (or membership organizations, societies, associations, apprenticeship programs, circles of practice, etc.) in the
M-AAA region (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, the Native Nations that share this geography). We're specifically focused on organizations with budgets under $500,000.
To help narrow the scope of the list, we're specifically looking at "hands-on" craft mediums such as metal work, beading, ceramics, sewing, book arts, canoe-building, glass, metalsmithing, woodworking, leatherwork, weaving, basketry, etc. We are borrowing an adapted version of the
CERF+ definition of
'What is a "craft" discipline?'
- We define eligible guilds to include those who create work using historically recognized craft materials such as clay, glass, textiles, wood, metal; as well as those whose work expands on these historical definitions through the incorporation of non-traditional materials, new technologies and experimental approaches.
- We are equally committed to the preservation of folk and traditional arts, as rooted in, and reflective of, the cultural life of a community. We recognize and support the ways that information is often passed on from one generation to the next and celebrate practices rooted within a common ethnic heritage, geographic region, religious affiliation or occupation.
- Craft objects may be functional or nonfunctional, but both types derive part of their meaning from their association with traditional functional forms such as chairs, vessels, garments or implements, and/or their association with cultural tradition. Qualities that contribute to the success of a craft object include the skill of the maker, the use of the material, the refinement of the design, the originality of expression, its cultural significance – or all of these.
Please feel free to submit this form multiple times to recommend various craft guilds/membership organizations. This survey does not collect personal contact information, such as your name or email address. Responses are used solely to identify craft guilds and related organizations across the region. If you choose to receive a copy of your responses at the end of the survey, your email address is
not shared with us or connected to your responses.
Questions? Please reach out to us at engage@maaa.orgThank you for helping us to conduct this field scan!
M-AAA Organizational Services
