Minnesota Crafts Council

The Minnesota Crafts Council (MCC) was a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis aimed at promoting public awareness of fine arts and crafts and providing artists a communications network for professional services and benefits.

The MCC started in the 1950s, was dormant for a few years in the 1960s and 1970s, became incorporated in 1974, and closed in December 2006. In 1979 the MCC opened permanent offices in the Hennepin Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis.

The MCC published a quarterly newspaper, Craft Connection, starting in 1975. It contained artist interviews, exhibit reviews, grant information, calendar listings of events, and general news. The publication reached around 1,000 readers in about 29 states nationwide.

The MCC organized many exhibits, workshops, seminars, and other events to help achieve its goals. Two major annual events organized by the MCC were the Minnesota Crafts Festival (MCF) and the Fiber/Metal Arts Show (F/M), a juried exhibit and sale of fine crafts. The Fiber/Metal Arts Show was an expansion of Fibers Minnesota which ran from 1975-1980.

The Minnesota Crafts Festival began in 1973 as the Smith Park (later Mear's Park) Craftsmen's Festival. It featured selected artists from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states and was usually held during the last weekend in June. Locations included the College of St. Catherine, the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, and the History Center in St. Paul. Inclusion in the Festival was determined through an extensive jury process.

The MCC also ran the Craft Connection Gallery from 1993-1996. Located on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, the Gallery provided members with a place to display and sell their work. Monthly openings were held to promote individual artists and often included award winners from the Minnesota Crafts Festival or the Fiber/Metal Arts Show.

Membership in MCC was open but geared toward professional crafting artists in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

From the guide to the Minnesota Crafts Council records., 1965-2007., (Minnesota Historical Society)