Celebrate American Craft Week in your community and promote your local economy

Posted on by Douglas Charles Jackson

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The Artisans Center of Virginia (ACV) and ‘Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network (RTM) are partnering with the support of the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) to celebrate American Craft Week on Oct. 3-12.

During American Craft Week, arts-and-craft-related events from throughout the commonwealth will be promoted in a robust and coordinated fashion on www.virginia.org, www.americancraftweek.com, www.artisanscenterofvirginia.org, www.myswva.org and www.roundthemountain.org. The websites will feature local and regional events and the events of member businesses and trail-supporting hospitality businesses. Promotion of events is free for all ACV and RTM members.

So, how can businesses in your community participate?

  • Encourage businesses to have craft artisan exhibits or openings.
  • Virginia artisan craft- and agritourism-related businesses become a member of ACV or RTM, and promote your activities on the website. (Membership is inexpensive and a great value with many additional benefits. Participation in this strategy is just one.)
  • Open the doors of your community’s artisan trail in a tour. If you do not have a trail yet, you can still do this. Start with the willing businesses and a simple listing of open hours and addresses.
  • Have an artisan exhibit or demo in your local visitor’s center.
  • Include a wine tasting in an existing event (artisan includes agri-artisan).
  • Host a conversation of related businesses to help them plan an artist walk, crawl or afterhours event.

There are lots of opportunities, and if your community has not yet explored the strategies of the artisan craft and craft food movements, now is the perfect time.

For strategic guidance and good conversation on strengthening your local craft economy, contact: