TWAC’s board of directors decided to create the show with the hopes of becoming the best fine craft show in the region, Executive Director and CEO Jenny Carattini-Wright said.
“I had been to the Smithsonian fine craft show, and was so enthralled with the idea of just highlighting fine craft and handwork,” Carattini-Wright said. “Several other board members went to different fine craft shows around the United States, and we came together and created the Texas Fine Craft Show.”
She said last year’s show was a success for artists and customers alike.
“The artists made money, and the patrons were excited and bought art, and the board was like ‘Yes, let’s do this again,’” she said.
The details
Scheduled for Sept. 26-28 in The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, the craft show will feature artists selling products such as jewelry, furniture, ceramics, wearable art and more. Artists will also give talks about their technique on Saturday and Sunday of the show weekend, Carattini-Wright said.
While the artists come from all over the U.S., the show also features several local artists, including Susan Hollingsworth, a jacket designer; Heather Wasaff, a photographer who makes scarves; and Hope Wilmarth, a quilter.
Carattini-Wright said last year’s craft show appealed to artists and customers partly because it was an indoor show.
“There’s a whole population of people who don’t go to art festivals or go to an outdoor event ... and so we’re basically looking for that audience,” she said.
Visitors can purchase a one-day general admission ticket for $20 or a two-day ticket for $25 to attend the craft show on the weekend. TWAC also offers a ticket to “Cheers,” a Friday evening exclusive preview of the show, where visitors can get to know the artist while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and sparkling wine. The $150 ticket also includes admission to the show on Saturday and Sunday.
“It can be exciting and life-changing when somebody discovers using, creating something with their hands,” Carattini-Wright said. “And so meeting these artists and seeing what they can do, and hopefully inspiring our community to handwork one day, would be pretty amazing.”
- Sept. 26, 5-9 p.m.; Sept. 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sept. 28, noon-5 p.m.
- $20 (one-day ticket), $25 (two-day ticket), $150 (Cheers ticket)
- The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, 1601 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands
- www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org
