Rob interviewed Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith and Sehar Peerzada for the American Craft Council, their work and what to expect from the American Craft Made Marketplace’s return to Baltimore.

Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith

Gwynne Rukenbrod Smith, a widely respected member of the national craft community, has been named senior director of programs and partnerships at the American Craft Council

Sehar Peerzada

Patricia Sehar Peerzada creates clothing influenced by traditional sources in Africa, Asia, Native America, and Europe. She often uses natural fibers which she hand prints using the ancient art of block printing which she learned studying traditional arts in Pakistan. Controlling the placement, intensity, and content of the prints in her limited edition separates and ensembles, makes each piece a wearable art treasure. Concentrating on the drape and fall of the fabric, Sehar flatters the figure of all types of women with her simple, unique shapes.

 

Peerzada's work has been carried in Nordstrom, Toast and Strawberries, Origins, C'Est La Vie, Metamorphosis, Sankofa, Zawadi, and many other boutiques. Her lines, Urban Masala and Saharah, have been featured in magazines, books, and fashion blogs such as Ebony, Heart and Soul, the Washington Post, Dubai Times, Pakistani Glamour, Today's Black Woman, "Threads of Time: The Fabric of History," Essence Online, Guyana Fete BHF Network, CIAA Africa, and many more. Her work has been worn by Sweet Honey In The Rock, Aretha Franklin, T'Keyah Crystal Kemah, Danny Glover, and others. Sehar is a local artist participating in the The American Craft Council (ACC) emerging artist program. 

 

The American Craft Council (ACC), a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting craft and its artists, is bringing its in-person flagship event to the Baltimore Convention Center March 3-5, 2023. The three-day American Craft Made marketplace is a celebration of all things handmade featuring a juried selection of artists from across the country working in a variety of mediums, including ceramics, glass, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and basketry. 

 

With 350 contemporary craft artists selected following an application and jury process, the 2023 event will allow collectors, supporters and enthusiasts of design, craft and art to discover and shop the best quality craft in the country. This year’s marketplace will once again feature the Emerging Artist Program, an initiative that provides a pathway for early-career artists into ACC’s established craft marketplaces. With lower-cost booths, extensive exhibitor support, and marketplace award opportunities, this program gives emerging artists an unparalleled opportunity to grow their clientele and careers. The event will also include ACC’s School-to-Market program which bridges the gap between higher educational curriculum in craft and the marketplace by providing undergraduate and graduate students a public venue for a curated, collective exhibition of their work.