Mendocino County Celebrates American Craft Week

October 4-13, 2013

Call to Participate

It’s time to start planning for the third annual Mendocino County Celebrates American Craft Week. This year’s national celebration will be held the week of October 4-13 and we are working hard to make this a great event.

Event Overview:

Galleries, wineries and lodgings will host craft-focused events such as sales, demonstrations, lectures, or exhibits by local craft artists. Artists will join the celebration by showing and/or demonstrating their craft at their studio or a local business.

Last year we had 42 hosting sites throughout Mendocino County who hosted 100 artists. Each host invites one or more artist to come and show their work. This can be a special show set up just for Craft Week or a reception/meet the artist for someone you regularly show.

How it Works

·      A brochure/map will list every event and give a brief description and contact information for the hosting business.

·      All events can go for the whole week (or longer) but for ease of publicity and organization we will focus events in each area on one of the two weekends. Here is the tentative line-up:

Fort Bragg and Ukiah area events will be held the first weekend to coincide with First Friday.

Mendocino/ Little River and Anderson Valley will be second weekend for Second Saturday.

Elk, Point Arena and Gualala, the first weekend.

·      Each hosting site will prominently display a raffle entry box that encourages visitors to go to more shows. It also helps us collect visitor contact information for our mailing list. (If you would like to donate a prize let us know).

·      A beautiful poster for the event as well as other advertising will be in windows throughout the county. We will again have our event program on-line at www.visitmendocino.com

·      Each hosting site will receive window signage designating them as an official participant in the Craft Week event.

·      Cost: $45 to register as a hosting site. $10 to register as an artist.

·      Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact us if you’d like to be featured in our advertising as a sponsor. (We already have sponsorships from Savings Bank of Mendocino County, MCLA and The Little River Inn)

To be part of Mendocino County Celebrates American Craft Week please sign up by June 30, 2013 to give our graphic designer time to put together the brochure and poster and have them printed and distributed. We will once again be available to connect artists to display spaces so let us know if you need any help putting your event together.

To sign up please print and return the attached entry form. There are two forms one for Artists and one for Hosting Sites. Please send in the appropriate form ASAP even if you don’t have your event fully planned so we know you’ll be joining the event.

For more information contact: Alexis at potshop@saber.net or Katie at katieg@pacific.net           

The American Craft Week Celebration, October 4-13, 2013, will bring together individuals, small businesses and organizations from all fifty states in recognition of the countless ways handmade objects enrich our daily lives and contribute to our national aesthetic and economy. We hope this countywide event will raise awareness of the vibrant art scene in our county and bring both local and out of town visitors into our businesses and boost fall sales of local arts and crafts.

Please pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested in participating.

Thank you and we look forward to promoting your event!

Alexis Moyer

Katie Gibbs