Make a Difference
Since 2006, when I announced the formation of the non-profit Arts and Crafts Research Fund (ACRF), one of the most popular aspects of the National Arts and Crafts Conference has been the silent auction to benefit the ACRF.
Held on Friday and Saturday afternoons, the silent auction typically features nearly a hundred items equally represented by new works by contemporary artisans and vintage works from the Arts and Crafts era. They range from art pottery and tiles to artwork, books, textiles, metalware, jewelry and more, including Arts and Crafts antique furniture.
In recent years each silent auction has raised between nine and twelve thousand dollars, all of which goes directly, with no administrative fees or expenses, to the ACRF. Over the course of the next year we typically distribute all of the funds raised at the silent auction to applicants who submit a written application detailing their research project. Included in the application is a breakdown of anticipated expenses, such as travel costs and photography, for which they are applying for a grant from the ACRF. Grants typically range from one to three thousand dollars, enabling the ACRF to assist with three or four research projects each year.
A few months ago I asked some of the researchers who had received grants from the ACRF to provide us with a written report which we could include at this website and in the Conference Catalog.
But for the Arts and Crafts Research Fund to continue to encourage research into the items, designers, and firms we collect, we need your help. More specifically, we need just one of your items you have put away in a box or a drawer. And since the ACRF is a registered non-profit organization, you get a tax deduction for it.
Donating an item is easy. Just send us an email with a brief description of the item. Then let us know if you will be bringing the item to the Grove Park Inn when you arrive for the Arts and Crafts Conference, or if you would prefer to send it to us in advance. We’ll take care of all the paperwork.
It’s that simple.
Until next week,
Make a difference.
Bruce
To contact us about your donation, please email us at:
Thanks!