Blog

April 22 - 26, 2026
Washington, D.C.
National Building Museum
Daily 10am-5pm
120 Artists
Deadline: September 16, 2025

Application fee $50/Booth fee starts at $1605

The 2026 Smithsonian Craft Show, AMERICAN ARTISTRY, will celebrate America’s 250-year tradition of excellence and innovation in craftsmanship and design.

This juried exhibition and sale of contemporary craft and design is held annually in Washington, DC. Three expert jurors, newly selected each year, choose 120 artists from a large pool of applicants. 

We are requesting your application to participate in our show. Previous exhibitors must reapply each year. No one is grandfathered into the show. There is no quota for any category of Craft Art. Artists are selected based on the originality, artistic conception, beauty, and quality of their work.

The show is produced by the all-volunteer Smithsonian Women's Committee (SWC) as a fund-raising event for the Smithsonian Institution. Proceeds from the show fund grants that benefit the Smithsonian's education, outreach, conservation, and research programs. Since its inception, SWC has awarded more than $14 MILLION in grants to Smithsonian organizations throughout the world.

The Craft Show does not charge sales commissions. Accepted artists are encouraged, however, to donate an item for the Show’s Online Auction, the entire proceeds of which benefit the Smithsonian.

Apply:
https://juriedartservices.com/events/2206 

More info: http://smithsoniancraftshow.org
 Contact: Heidi Austreng austrpr@si.edu

April 23 - 27, 2025
Washington, D.C.
National Building Museum
Wednesday Reception & Preview Night 5pm-9pm
Thursday-Saturday 10:30am-5:30pm
Sunday 11am-5pm
Deadline: September 3, 2024

Application fee: $50/Booth fee starts at $1300

The 2025 Smithsonian Craft Show will feature America's finest artisans and celebrate their vision of what might be. It is a juried exhibition and sale of contemporary craft and design held annually in Washington DC. Three expert jurors, newly selected each year, choose 120 artists from a large pool of applicants. 

Previous exhibitors must re-apply each year. No one is grandfathered into the show. There is no quota for any category of Craft Art. Artists are selected based on the originality, artistic conception, beauty, and quality of their work. The show is produced by the Smithsonian Women's Committee. Proceeds from the show fund grants that benefit the Smithsonian's education, outreach, conservation, and research programs.

The Smithsonian Craft Show is produced by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee (SWC) as a fund-raising event for the Smithsonian Institution. Since its inception, SWC has awarded more than 14 MILLION dollars in grants to Smithsonian organizations throughout the world.

Awards

The Smithsonian Women's Committee recognizes outstanding work exhibited at the Craft Show by presenting a number of awards. The awards include Gold, Silver and Bronze levels of distinction, Excellence within select categories (such as jewelry, glass, ceramics, etc.), as well as several Exhibitors' Choice Awards. Cash awards range from $500 to $1500. "Honoring the Future Sustainability Award" of $1,000 will be offered. The purpose of this award is to educate the public about climate change and to inspire and model sustainable responses to this problem. 

The Craft Show does not charge sales commissions. However, accepted artists are encouraged to donate an item for the Show’s Online Auction or other fund-raising initiatives, the proceeds of which benefit the Smithsonian.

For more information: https://www.smithsoniancraftshow.org/
Contact: Heidi Austreng austrpr@si.edu