Call to all Maine Craft Artists:
Center for Maine Craft recruiting you!

The Maine Crafts Association's new Center for Maine Craft is recruiting Maine craft artists interested in selling, exhibiting, or promoting their craft work. The Center for Maine Craft is a 2500 square foot retail, exhibition, education, and tourism space for Maine Craft being built by the Maine Turnpike Authority at the new West Gardiner Travel Plaza on the Turnpike and Interstate. The Maine Crafts Association, a non-profit arts organization promoting Maine Craft for over 25 years has a lease to operate the Center. It will be open in November of 2008. 

“The goal of the Center is to show the public the high quality and variety of Maine Craft, encourage travel to artists studios and galleries throughout the state, and increase recognition of Maine’s world renowned craft education institutions, like Haystack Mountain School of Crafts” states Tracy Michaud Stutzman, Executive Director of the Mine Crafts Association, “We are fortunate to have partners like the Turnpike Authority, Governor’s office, and Department of Tourism that have all been supportive of this project. They appreciate the fact that we are promoting some of the best cultural qualities of Maine and supporting local small business people.”

Craft artists, don't miss your chance to reach hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit the Center for Maine Craft each year. Craft work will be purchased for resale at the Center, some craft artists will be offered consignment arrangements, and others still will be offered demonstration and promotional opportunities. Artists working in all craft mediums and at all price levels are encouraged to contact the MCA and sign up for a jury session in order to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity. Jury sessions will be:

• Saturday June 7, 8 am-8pm, Eastern Maine Development Corporation, 40 Harlow St., Bangor
  
  
• Friday June 13, 8am-7pm, Maine Arts Commission, 193 State St., Augusta
  
  
• Saturday June 28, 8 am-8pm, Maine College of Art, 522 Congress St., Portland

For more information or to sign up for a jury session contact www.mainecrafts.org, info@mainecrafts.org, 207-564-0041. Jury sessions are free to MCA professional members, $10 for MCA general members and $65 for non-members.  Juries will take place in-person on a first-come first-serve basis. Reserve your spot now.

Craft Work Selection Guidelines for Center for Maine Craft

These guidelines describe the process for selling your craft work at the Center for Maine Craft. MCA intends to purchase the majority of craftwork directly from artists. Some consignment opportunities will also be available.  All work must be original and not made from a kit. 

1. The first step in the process is participating in a prescreening jury of MCA experts to identify new high quality craftwork in different mediums and at different prices. If you pass this jury, your product will become part of a pool of approved products that have the potential to be selected for sale at the Center.
   
   
2. The jury is only for potential craft work that has not already been separately recruited. For instance, food, some books, some cards, videos, and CD’s will be products recruited separately from this jury. All other craft work must go through the jury process.
   
   
3. Jury is work-based. Each new/different craft work presented by the same artist needs to go through its own jury process. “New/different” craft work will be determined on a case by case basis.
   
   
4. Jury will consist of a panel of experts, chosen by the MCA, to review craft work and pass them into a pool of approved work for the retail manager at the Center to choose from.
   
   
5. The second step in the process is for the Retail Manager to make final decisions on the purchase, placement, sale and re-order of all craft work at center. Some consignment opportunities will also exist.
   
   
6. Orders and re-orders are not guaranteed for any juried craft work but re-orders can be made without a re-jury process.
   
   
7. Pre-screening juries are open to MCA members and non-members.
   
   
8. Individual Professional and Founding MCA members and Patron and Sustaining Institutions will have no jury fees.
   
   
9. Individual General MCA members will pay a $10 jury fee for each opportunity they choose to jury for, i.e. craft center, exhibitions, wholesale shows, etc.
   
   
10. Individuals within all Institutional MCA memberships will pay a $10 jury fee for each opportunity they choose to jury for, i.e. craft center, exhibitions, wholesale shows, etc.
    
    
11. Non-MCA members will pay a $65 jury fee for each opportunity they choose to jury for, i.e. craft center, exhibitions, wholesale shows, etc., and will not receive member benefits unless they decide to upgrade their jury fee into a membership.
    
    
12. Juries for the Center will be held all day June7-Bangor, June 13- Augusta , June 28-Portland of 2008 and as needed after that.

Contact MCA at 50 Mayo St., Dover-Foxcroft, Maine 04426, info@mainecrafts.org, (207) 564-0041 for more information and to place your name on the jury list

You are invited! Dinner to Honor Carolyn Hecker

 As the Maine Crafts Association heads into its 25th year of operation we will host a variety of events celebrating 25 years of serving Maine craft artists. To kick off our year of new opportunities you are invited to our Celebration Dinner honoring the founder of the Maine Crafts Association, Carolyn Hecker

Saturday, May 17, 6pm
Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Deer Isle

We hope you can attend this free dinner, which coincides with our annual Haystack Weekend Workshop Silent Auction, starting at 5pm.  Those attending the dinner are invited to bring any MCA memorabilia they have from the past 25 years (T-shirts, mugs, banners, special publications, etc) so all can share the special memories the MCA holds for them.  We will also have a special honor book to sign for Carolyn created by Anne-Claude Cotty.

Whether you can attend the dinner or not, another way you can support this celebration is to make a gift to the MCA in honor of Carolyn Hecker. This gift will help make the Maine Crafts Association's 25th year the most successful ever. 

Please RSVP your attendance at the dinner by May 12, 2008 by contacting us at (207) 564-0041, tstutzman@mainecrafts.org . Thank you! We look forward to celebrating the exciting future of Maine craft.

MCA Haystack Weekend Workshop
May 15-18, 2008

Don’t miss this year’s best crafts education opportunity!

Enjoy incredible instruction in a beautiful atmosphere, with round-the-clock access to the craft studios, and emerge with truly impressive results.

If you are interested in attending, please call (207) 564-0041 or e-mail info@mainecrafts.org for a space to be reserved for you ASAP. Or, better yet, download, print, and mail your registration form today!

Registrations received before February 28, 2008 receive a $25 discount!

Download Workshop Brochure & Registration Form [PDF]

All Members and Friends are Invited to the May 17th Saturday Evening Wine & Cheese Reception with silent auction of fine craft in Haystack’s Gateway!

MEMBERS!

Please send us your images! We are in the midst of creating an image library for our web site. These images can be used to update your individual web page, and they can also offer you the chance at having that coveted spot on the MCA home page. So, help us in keeping the web site up-to-date, and in turn, let us give you that much deserved spotlight for a whole month. Click here for image format requirements.

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KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MCA…

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