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Craft Scotland at The PMA Craft Show 2011 (c) Craft Scotland

Craft Scotland at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show 2011

In November 2011, Craft Scotland presented 25 talented Scottish makers and their work at the 35th annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.

Taking place every year since 1977, and with more than 1,300 people applying for 195 booth positions each year, the PMA Craft Show is one of the largest shows of its kind in North America. It's an opportunity not only for makers to exhibit their work but also for them to forge new relationships with collectors and major galleries.

Craft Scotland were invited to take part following their marketing campaign for their showcase at Collect 2010 in London, which included an e-invite sent to international craft collectors and a film of Scottish craft makers creating work for Collect. The campaign was picked up on by a member of the PMA Women’s Committee and an approach to Craft Scotland was swiftly made.

The Scottish makers involved were praised for the way in which they promoted their work and wood and ceramics maker Thomas Hopkins-Gibson was awarded a $1,000 prize for 'Best of Scotland' by judges at the Private View. Reid Bodek, Chair of the 2011 PMA Craft Show remarked that ‘The energy we are feeling from Scotland is remarkable. They are tweeting and using other forms of social media promoting our collaboration. The PMA is pleased to welcome such an engaged cultural community.’

The 25 Scottish makers who took part were:

Images from PMA Craft Show 2011 (c) Craft Scotland

‘We were delighted to be invited to participate in such a prominent show within the American craft calendar, and we anticipated the event would be hugely successful for Scottish craft. However the response we received was unprecedented, and many of the 25 makers involved in the show reported the highest sales figures of their careers. Collectively we took sales totalling $197,000 over a four day period, and Craft Scotland has received a number of invites for future selling opportunities across the USA.

During our trip to Philadelphia we made many new connections – with galleries, press, American makers, craft organisations, craft shows and of course the American public. We now have a long list of opportunities and invitations to consider for the coming years.’ - Emma Walker, Chief Executive of Craft Scotland

More About Craft Scotland

Craft Scotland is a Scottish charity, working to unite, inspire and champion Scottish craft and was the world’s first Audience Development Agency for craft. At the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Craft Scotland ensured that the Scottish collection was unlike any before. They were given a prime space at the show, which was highlighted by a distinct Scottish brand including banners, print, and a Craft Scotland booth to showcase Scottish craft.

The booth featured films from previous Craft Scotland campaigns, such as The C Word and Meet Your Maker and members of the Craft Scotland team were on hand to help promote nearly two thousand Scottish craft businesses represented on craftscotland.org. A website targeting American craft enthusiasts was also launched during the event.

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