Craft Expo 2008
Brings America's Finest Crafts Back to the Guilford Green
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, July 17, 18, & 19, 2008

In celebration of its 51st year, the Guilford Art Center's annual Craft Expo returns once again to the scenic and historic Guilford Green, celebrating the arts with its extensive array of handmade crafts by American artists.

Craft Expo 2008 will bring approximately 175 artists to Guilford--a mix of first-time and returning exhibitors, whose exquisite-quality handmade crafts consistently help rank this event as one of the top craft shows in New England and the country. The Guilford Green becomes home to these craft artists for the three-day run of the show, while visitors flock to discover and rediscover the importance of American hand made objects, build relationships with the artists, and start or add to personal collections. Many will tell you this is the place they first discovered this type of art and return every year.

Craft Expo has been written up by publications ranging from Yankee to American Style, which has included the annual Guilford gathering--amidst antique residences, venerable churches and quaint shops--as one of the nation's "Can't-Miss Craft Shows." As a celebration of the arts and a signature event for the town of Guilford, Craft Expo has become a point of pride for the Connecticut shoreline community.

"We firmly believe that art has the capacity to change a town from a good place to a thriving place to live," says Guilford Art Center executive director Jean Perkins. "Craft Expo, by bringing the finest American craft to our community each year, provides both delight and inspiration to artists, collectors, and all those with an interest in the arts. For 51 years, the Center has been encouraging exploration for artists of all ages, and helping our community gain a reputation as one where creative expression is valued. This helps shape the soul of the community, making it a richer, stronger, and more culturally diverse place to live."

Artists from 21 states are represented in Craft Expo 2008, with works in the following media: Candles, Clay, Glass, Leather, Metal, Metal and Non-Metal Jewelry, Mixed Media, Wearable and Non-Wearable Fiber, Paper, Photography, Polymer Clay, Soap, Stone, and Wood. Twenty of the artists are from towns throughout Connecticut. Craft Expo is one of the Guilford Art Center's most important fundraisers, with all gate proceeds providing support for the Center's school and gallery programs.

Additional events this year include a Silent Auction of donated crafts, a Food Court, and a hands-on Craft Area.

Craft Expo 2008 hours: Thursday, July 17, 12-9pm, Friday, July 18, 12-9pm, Saturday, July 19, 10am-7pm. Admission: Adults $7, Seniors $5, Members and children under 12 Free. For more information contact the Guilford Art Center at 203.453.5947, email expo@guilfordartcenter.org, or visit the website www.guilfordartcenter.org.