The Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston


The Society of Arts + Crafts is America's oldest arts and craft nonprofit organization. The Society moved to Boston's Seaport District in 2016 after being located on Newbury Street for over 40 years. The Society was incorporated by twenty-one individuals on June 28, 1897 and was then known as the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston. The small group was representational of Boston's elites in the fields of teaching, art-making, architecture, and craft. The original Society began with the agreement to "develop and encourage higher artistic standards in the handcrafts."
Frederic Allen Whiting was the Director at the Society until 1912, when Humphery J. Emery took over. He would serve on the board of directors until the 1930s.

Mission

The Society strives to inspire the creation, assemblage, and promotion of the work of contemporary craft makers. The advancement of public appreciation of fine art has been a lifelong goal of the Society. The Society of Arts + Crafts sponsors exhibitions, the Artist Awards Programs, the John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship, and educational programming in order to promote the work of contemporary craft artists. Four hundred craft artists are featured in both the gallery and retail gallery.

Exhibitions

The following is a list of SA+C's exhibitions since 2012.
Exhibition TitleDateNotes
Executive Order 9066, Wendy MaruyamaSeptember 8 - November 3, 2012
Our Cups Runneth OverNovember 16, 2012- January 19, 2013Biennial
Contemporary FolkFebruary 15 - April 13, 2013
Rethinking Tradition: Portraits in Glass by Joseph CavalieriApril 26 - July 20, 2013
Creative Minds, Disciplined Hands: Selections from the New Hampshire Furniture MastersAugust 3 - October 19, 2013
From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio JewelryNovember 1, 2013 - January 11, 2014Biennial
Floral Fictions: Recent Work by Jessica CalderwoodJanuary 31, 2014 - April 19, 2014
SAC Artists Awards ExhibitionMay 2 - July 19, 2014
William Daley: 14 for 7August 2 - October 25, 2014
Our Cups Runneth Over: Sculptural & Functional CupsNovember 8, 2014 – January 10, 2015Biennial
Collisions & Collaborations: Kathy King, Kevin Snipes and Brian R. JonesJanuary 30 - April 11, 2015
Alchimia: An AnthologyMay 1 - July 11, 2015
Stay in Touch: Seven Years of the John D. Mineck Furniture FellowshipAugust 1 - October 17, 2015
From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio JewelryNovember 6, 2015 - January 10, 2016Biennial
RadiusOctober - November 2016Opening exhibition at new Seaport District location
Our Cups Runneth OverNovember 2016 - February 2017Biennial
I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Peace NowFebruary - June 2017Traveling show in collaboration with artist Boris Bally
Archipomorphic: Tim Ian MitchellFebruary - March 2017
Artist AwardsJune - October 2017Award recipients: Tanya Crane, Janice Jakielski, Julie Morringello
Fantasy Architectures: Jay RogersOctober 2017 - January 2018
From Minimal to Bling: Contemporary Studio JewelryNovember 2017 - February 2018
All Things Considered IX: Basketry in the 21st CenturyMarch - June 2018Traveling show presented by the National Basketry Organization
The Cover Up: Donna Rhae MarderMay - August 2018
Infinite Vibration: Niho KozuruJune - September 2018
Landscapes, CraftedAugust - October 2018
Elizabeth Cohen: Life CycleOctober 2018
Adorning Boston + Beyond: Contemporary Studio Jewelry Then + NowNovember 8, 2018 - February 17, 2019In conjunction with the Museum of Fine Arts exhibit Boston Made, guest-curated by Heather White
Our Cups Runneth OverNovember 8, 2018 - February 17, 2019Biennial, guest-curated by Mary Barringer
Rebecca Welz: Inner + Outer SpacesFebruary 2019 - March 2019
Pulp + ProcessFebruary 21 - April 21, 2019Curated by Sam Aldrich, 2019 Emerging Curator
Peter T. Bennett: The Lure of AluminumMarch 14 - May 5, 2019
PRIEDApril 25 - June 30, 2019Guest-curated by Izzy Berdan and Dave J Bermingham, co-founders of the Boston LGBTQIA Artists Alliance
Linda Huey: Dark Garden and other worksMay 9 - July 21, 2019

Annual Events

Every year, the Society of Arts + Crafts hosts two promotional events for local and international artists, CraftBoston Spring and CraftBoston Holiday. CraftBoston is a show of contemporary art, craft and design, and is well known for its advancement of both the arts and craftspeople. These events are held at popular venues and convention halls in Boston biannually.