A lot of our new members are curious about this next questions:

What is a chapter and why should I join one?

A chapter brings the Guild into local communities. Guild members in similar areas have formed chapters to focus on specific aims in a more intimate setting.  Many of our chapters sponsor events, such as the Pocono State Craft Festival put on by the Pocono Chapter.  Chapters also work to provide opportunities within its community such as workshops and scholarships for highschool students.

The Bucks County Chapter website aptly states that one of their goals is to:

“assists members in marketing high quality crafts and provides a forum for exchange of ideas and information through its meetings and programs”

If you are looking for a setting in which you can get to know and share information with artists in your own community, join a chapter. Chapter membership is included in the new member rate, simply check the chapter that interests you the most or is closest to you geographically.

The Pennsylvania Guild has 17 chapters, a full listing can be found on our Chapters webpage.

We have decided to start a new weekly blog post about frequently asked questions.  I will start with a few I get a lot but if any of you readers have questions, please post comments with them or email me, at jenny.pacrafts.org, I would love to address them.

One thing I have gotten asked quite often: Are the crafts shows the Guild puts on for juried members only?

No.  While our shows are juried, we do not require that members go through the state jurying process to apply for our craft fairs.   Any applicant does have to go through a show selection process and is required to be a member of the Guild.  But juried status is not required to apply.  However, juried members do receive a bonus point during selection that can improve their score, but the bonus point is hardly enough to guarantee entry.

Are you looking for something warm to do this weekend?  Check out “The Craftsman’s Journey-Enhancing Peoples Lives”, the newest exhibit at the Mechanicsburg Museum.  This exhibition features the work of craftsman in the Yellow Breeches chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, including woodworker Doug Starry and enamelist  Averill Shepps.

Opening this Saturday (Feb. 13th), the show goes through May 1st.  There will be a public reception on Sunday (Feb. 14) between 2-4pm.

Some would argue its the best kept secret of the Guild’s shows.  I agree.  The Best in Pennsylvania Crafts gallery exhibit is held annually during our Holiday Fine Craft Fair in Lancaster and serves as a showcase for juried members of the Guild.

Every year there’s a theme (this year’s is Go Green) and every year there’s a load of money given out in awards (this year $2450).  Awards range from Best in Fiber to Most Creative Use of Material, Excellence in Craftsmanship to Most Humorous.  The most prized awards are Best in Show, Craftsmen’s Choice and People’s Choice.

The ‘choice’ awards are tallied by voting all weekend long from attendees of the show (the People’s Choice) and exhibitors in the show (Craftsman’s Choice).  All of the awards are generously given annually by chapters of the Guild ~ thank you who give!  A full list of this year’s awards are at www.pacrafts.org/gallery as well as those who are vying for them.

So when you come to the show this weekend (and you are planning to attend), make sure to vote for your favorite piece.  Perhaps you’ll choose Bev Zimmerman’s Green Box, which is shown above.

Beth Aten, of Lewisburg, dyes, paints and prints fabrics and papers for her one of a kind wall hangings and gift items.  Her work, which she has been making for over twenty years, ranges in size from very small framed works to very large installations.  Her gift items include table runners, pins, scarves and ornaments.

She will be exhibiting her work at two upcoming guild shows; in Lancaster this weekend at the Manheim Township High School and with the Central PA chapter in State College at the Winter Craft Market on December 5th and 6th.  You can also see her work at Handmade Holiday at our 252 N. Prince St gallery in Lancaster.

Visit Beth’s blog, http://studiodays.wordpress.com, to read news from her studio and see her available works for sale.

On Saturday, our exhibition ‘from Raw to Refined‘ closes at the Reading Public Museum.  If you have not yet made it, change your weekend plans, get in your car and drive out there.  It’s a wonderful showing of fine crafts.

For details on hours and directions, visit the Reading Public Museum’s website http://www.readingpublicmuseum.org/

Our Handmade Holiday store opens November 6 and runs til January 2 at 252 N. Prince St in Lancaster.  Join us in starting a tradition… this year give handmade.  Preview everything on our Flickr page.

I’ll update with a new post once we get the show laid out next week.

I’m sure you know by now that we have a fall craft festival coming up this weekend at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell.  We’ve only been saying it every chance we get since it’s a great way to celebrate fall outside!

But there’s a lot more happening in the coming weeks, here’s a quick preview…

Also this weekend, in Lancaster, we have a Juried Member Showcase during Fall ArtWalk at our 252 N. Prince St gallery.  David Lunin and Jay Brubaker are showing their furniture for two days in what they’re calling ‘Divergince’.  These showcases are an opportunity for our juried members to rent our gallery.

October 31 is the final day to see ‘from Raw to Refined‘ at the Reading Public Museum.   If you have not made it, it is worth the drive.  Plus there’s a really cool printmaking exhibition on display with works from Cezanne, Millet and Whistler.

October 31 is also the date of our ‘Anatomy of a Pattern‘ workshop with Debby Spence at Millersville University.  There are a number of spaces remaining.  If you’re interested in making your own patterns for clothing, don’t miss this one.  It’s gonna be great.

We open our Prince St gallery doors for ‘Handmade Holiday‘ on Friday, November 6.  This store setting runs until January 2.  We’ve extended our regular hours for the month of December so you can get in and buy some handmade crafts for gifts.  For those of you from out of town, it’s worth the drive: come down to see our gallery on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday and you can also catch Central Market, the country’s oldest continuously operating farmer’s market.

Saturday, November 7 is the ‘FELT: Hat, Bag or Vessel’ class with Jeri Robinson.  It’s also the start of Lebanon Valley Studio Tour, which has a number of Guild members involved.

The following weekend is our return to Manheim Township High School for our Holiday Fine Craft Fair on November 14 & 15.  We love this show and we know you will too.  It’s a short (10 minutes) drive outside of downtown Lancaster.  And if you’re planning to come to this craft show, you should make it a point to then drive into our gallery downtown.

I can’t believe how much is going on in the next few weeks!  Leave comments below about other events I may have missed.

copyright Larry Lefever

copyright Larry Lefever

copyright Larry Lefever

copyright Larry Lefever

For details about this particular store, visit www.pacrafts.org/inthekitchen.

If you haven’t made it to In the Kitchen gallery store yet, here’s a few more works to get you in the kitchen mood.

1. Joyce Inderbitzin – muffin pan ( $154)
2. Beth Aten – tablerunners ($54)
3. Scott Gold – hewn salad set with servers ($260)
4. Sandra Kaye – fused glass coasters ($40)
5. Clarissa Enck – juicer ($42)
6. Barry Bennecoff – hutch ($1750)

We’re open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.  Stop on in or if you have a quesiton call us at 717-431-8706.