American Craft Council’s Emerging Artists Cohort is a three-month program that cultivates the next steps for independent craft artists to advance their professional practices. The program will support 11 innovative artists early in their careers who expand craft boundaries and challenge us to new perspectives. 

Through facilitated workshops, presentations, coaching, and conversations, participating artists will gain a deeper understanding of the professional skills and opportunities that will help them thrive in their chosen craft careers. Participating artists will connect with established industry leaders from various craft sectors including gallerists, curators, marketplace artists, exhibiting artists, social practice artists, designers, and more. After the three-month program is complete, all participating artists will receive an accelerator grant to help propel them to the next level of their profession, as well as receive ongoing support and peer connections through monthly meetings and an online communication platform via Slack. 

Who Should Apply?

Recognizing many pathways to professional practice, ACC encourages a wide range of emerging artists exploring different livelihoods to apply and participate in this pilot program. Livelihoods and practices include retail, museum exhibitions, production work, cross-industry collaborations, and community-based practices. ACC prioritizes creating a diverse and equitable cohort, with an emphasis on communities that have traditionally lacked access to opportunities.

Additional requirements to participate include:

• 18+ years of age, residing in the United States, ability to accept US bank-drawn checks
• Identify as an artist, maker, designer, craftsperson, and/or small-batch producer who aspires to create a full-time creative practice or business
• Willingness to complete the program in its entirety, including completing pre- and post-program surveys and final accelerator grant reports

What kind of work or practice is a good fit for the Cohort program?

• ACC is interested in artists who produce handmade craft that reflects excellence and the unique vision of its maker or community and demonstrates interest in material and process. ACC will not consider commercially manufactured work, painting and photographs. 
• Traditional printmaking practices such as letterpress, intaglio, lithography, screen printing, relief printing, etc. are welcome
• Small-studio production work made under the direct supervision of the applicant. Direct supervision requires that the artist oversees production work as it occurs and provides constant direction, feedback, and assistance
• All work must be produced in the United States

Emerging Artists Definition

Based on the guidelines of the Jerome Foundation (St. Paul, Minnesota), ACC embraces a broad definition that supports artists early in their careers, regardless of age, who create new work, and:

• Offer a distinct vision, authentic voice, and have a focused direction and goals
• Take risks and embrace challenges
• Show evidence of professional achievement but haven’t yet established a solid reputation as an artist/maker/business within their field, the media, funding circles, or the public at large

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

The Emerging Artist Cohort program focuses on supporting artists to develop the necessary skills to create and sustain a professional practice in craft. The curriculum will include workshops, conversations, coaching sessions, panel discussions, and peer-to-peer community support. ACC takes a holistic approach to creative thinking and entrepreneurship development.

What Do Cohort Participants Receive?

• A virtual 12-week intensive that provides professional development education through workshops, panel discussions, conversations, coaching sessions, and peer-to-peer support. Each week includes up to 4 hours of meeting time plus homework.
• One-on-one coaching opportunities to get the support needed from experts in the field.
• Career-building educational resources and expert guidance and mentorship from industry leaders designed to drive career development
• A Business Accelerator Grant: 10 unrestricted cash grants of $10,000 each to be used toward a project that is developed and planned during the intensive
• After the intensive is complete, cohorts will join previous year cohorts in virtual monthly support calls, which include workshops, panel conversations, and peer-led discussion topics.
• Ongoing peer community support platform using the Slack app.
• A one-year ACC membership that includes a subscription to American Craft magazine
• Access to the ACC Library & Archives’ digital resources

APPLICATION PROCESS

ACC values clarity and transparency in our selection and invitation process. Twelve artists/businesses will be selected to participate in the cohort from an application pool juried by Vivian Chu, Michael Janis, Sharif Bey, Mary Savig, and ACC staff. Visit https://www.craftcouncil.org/programs/emerging-artists-cohort for more information on the jurors and co-facilitators.

Several factors will be taken into consideration for the selection process, including work samples, application answers, innovation, tradition of material use and process, diversity of mediums, and backgrounds. Quality of work images will also factor into selection. ACC will make it a priority to create a diverse and equitable cohort.

There will be two phases of the application process, a general application submission followed by a virtual interview for invited applicants. 

TIMELINE

• Applications Open February 1, 2024
• Applications Close: March 15, 2024, 11:59 MT
• Round 1 Jury: March 23 - April 15, 2024
• Round 2 Interviews: April 29 - May 25, 2024
• Final Jury Result Notifications: June 7, 2024
• Program Dates: July 9th - September 26th

Application Requirements

Application Details + Instructions:

Artist Information

• First and Last Name
• Which of the following best describes your race/ethnicity? You may select more than one option.
  • Asian or Pacific Islander
  • Black or African American
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Native American or Alaskan Native
  • White or Caucasian
  • Other
  • My race/ethnicity is not listed here
• Please tell us your pronouns: ______________________
• ACC also respects the ways in which people self-identify, and we want to ensure we are supporting everyone. Please feel free to describe how you self-identify. (This space is completely optional and is for ACC use only.)
• Business Name
• Website URL
• Instagram URL
• Medium
• Email
• Address
• City, State, Zip
• Phone

Artist/Business Information Essay Questions

• ACC is committed to justice, inclusiveness, and equity. To help us with these efforts, we ask that you please respond to the questions below.
• We know there are many pathways to professional practice. Tell us your story- how you came to work in the field of craft?
• How many years have you been engaged in your practice?
• Tell us more about your work or your practice that is not immediately apparent to us. For example, do you use unique materials and processes, or do you work in multiple genres?
• In what ways do you consider yourself an emerging artist?
• How do you hope the Emerging Artists Cohort program will propel you and your work forward?
• What do you hope to gain from participating in the program? (Examples may include financial training, marketing strategy, marketplace opportunities, etc.)
• Have you previously worked with the American Craft Council?
  • If so, in what capacity?

Images

Each application must include five high-resolution images representative of your body of work made within the last 3 years (2020 or later). 

Five images: 

• File Type: JPEG or JPG only.
• File Dimensions: 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side.
• File Size: Under 5 MB.
• Color Profile: sRGB.
• Image descriptions: please include title (if applicable), materials, and process.

Eligibility Criteria

What kind of work or practice is a good fit for the Cohort program?

• ACC is interested in artists who produce handmade craft that reflects excellence and the unique vision of its maker or community and demonstrates interest in material and process. ACC will not consider commercially manufactured work, painting and photographs. 
• Traditional printmaking practices such as letterpress, intaglio, lithography, screen printing, relief printing, etc. are welcome
• Small-studio production work made under the direct supervision of the applicant. Direct supervision requires that the artist oversees production work as it occurs and provides constant direction, feedback, and assistance
• All work must be produced in the United States

Emerging Artists Definition

Based on the guidelines of the Jerome Foundation (St. Paul, Minnesota), ACC embraces a broad definition that supports artists early in their careers, regardless of age, who create new work, and:

• Offer a distinct vision, authentic voice, and have a focused direction and goals
• Take risks and embrace challenges
• Show evidence of professional achievement but haven’t yet established a solid reputation as an artist/maker/business within their field, the media, funding circles, or the public at large