Handmade Celebrates 20 Years

Handmade, the juried craft division of the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), celebrates its 20th anniversary in August. Its introduction in 1984 followed the successful launch the year before of the Accent on Design division of the NYIGF. Originally called American & International Crafts, the first show featured 228 exhibitors. In 1991, show producers George Little Management partnered with American Craft Enterprises (ACE) to expand the concept, and introduced Handmade in the USA with 169 exhibitors at Pier 90 during the February gift fair. After two shows, ACE chose to move in a different direction, and GLM hired ACE president Carol Sedestrom Ross. In 1996, the two divisions, American & International Crafts and Handmade in the USA were combined to form Handmade. Today, Handmade features some 565 exhibitors from the U.S. and aboard, and its success has been duplicated in many other GLM-produced shows, most notably the San Francisco International Gift Fair.

Anniversary festivities will include a retrospective display at the Javits Center during the summer NYIGF, August 13–18, showcasing archival materials. An exclusive viewing at the Museum of Arts & Design takes place Saturday, August 13, and 17 charter Handmade exhibitors will be recognized at Gifts & Decorative Accessories 54th annual REA dinner and awards presentation, Sunday, August 14.

In addition, three retailers will be honored in connection with Handmade's anniversary. They are the Sundance Catalog Company in Salt Lake City, RISD Works of Providence, Rhode Island, and Robert and Sally Silberberg of The Clay Pot in Brooklyn, New York.

African Traders, Barrick Design, Besheer Studios, Christmas Cove Designs, Constance Collection, Dwelling, Kentucky Craft Marketing Program, Lee's Fine Enamel, Mountaine Meadows Pottery, Northern Lights Candles, Santa Barbara Ceramic Design, Santa Fe Stoneworks, Smith, Sunfeather Natural Soap, The Niger Bend, Townsend Glass, and Vandermark/Merrit Glass Studios.