Crafty Businesses

For one weekend each year the Baltimore Convention Center becomes home to an event with hundreds of artists and craftspeople from all over the country, brought here by the American Craft Council. However, after the event ends, some of the artists can still be found making a living from their talents in and around Baltimore.

During the 2014 American Craft Council (ACC) Baltimore Show, nearly 20 of the vendors exhibiting contemporary jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home décor items were from the Baltimore area. In alphabetical order, these Baltimore artists are: Ronni Aronin (Ceramics), Theresa Carson (Jewelry), Lisa Cimino (Jewelry), Shannon Delanoy (Fashion), Susan Fleischer (Polymer Clay), Yoshi Fujii (Ceramics), Hilary Hachey (Jewelry), Danamarie Hosler (Toys & Puzzles), Annie Howe (Paper), Shana Kroiz (Jewelry), Rebecca Meyers (Jewelry), Joanna Nealey (Jewelry), Kacey Stafford (Mixed Media) and Jennifer Wilfong (Jewelry).

Whether locally born and trained, or somehow finding Baltimore later, these craftspeople are now a part of the artistic fabric of our city:

Ronni Aronin

Ronni Aronin is a founding member of Baltimore Clayworks and a resident artist there. She has been creating porcelain since her days at completing Towson University's graduate program. With a professional career that has spanned almost three decades, she was among the most experienced of the local vendors, with retail experience that includes the once-venerable Tomlinson Craft Collection, in addition to her sales in shows around the country.

This year was Joanna Nealey's first ACC show, and she describes the experience as "excellent." Her work can also be found in shops and galleries in the Northeast and Midwest, and locally in Trohv in Hampden.

Joanna Nealey

Hampden is a place where many of the local ACC exhibitors can be found. Lisa Cimino's jewelry, handcrafted interpretations of items found in nature, are in galleries and shops all across the country, but she calls Baltimore home, and her work can be found at Hampden's Mud and Metal.

Lisa Cimino's business is Chee-Me-No

Jennifer Wilfong's jewelry business, Yummy & Company, is based in Hampden and can be found at local events like Hamdenfest and Artscape.

Jennifer Wilfong

In the Woodberry neighborhood of former mills, adjacent to Hampden, Rebecca Myers has home base at The Clipper Mill, and while her nature-based art and jewelry can be found on display around the country, her studio and showroom are open to the public by appointment.

Rebecca Meyers

Also in Woodberry, Shana Kroiz is involved in the Baltimore Jewelry Center, a non-profit organization offering classes, workshops and bench spaces. However, the organization plans to  move to the Centre Theater project in Station North. Meanwhile, Shana has other ties around the city.

Shana Kroiz

A native Baltimorean, Shana founded the Jewelry Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where she still works as an instructor and studio artist. Nationally, she is recognized as one of the leading experimental enamelists and jewelry educators and was once Director of the 92nd Street Y’s Jewelry Center in NYC.

MICA was the place where Danamarie Hosler received her training as a illustrator, muralist and craftsperson. Her fanciful fabric dolls called Knitimals are created for the child in us all, and her equally fun murals can be seen in a variety of local venues, from an exterior panel at the Wavery Crossroads Giant supermarket to the Walters Art Museum.

Metal smith Hilary Hachey also studied at MICA. She calls her jewelry "architectonic", a style that "prefers the simple over the complex, and the well-built over the mass-produced."

Theresa Carson makes all of her jewelry in her Baltimore studio. She has been handcrafting jewelry for over 20 years, building on a Baltimore tradition of silversmiths.

Annie Howe began making her custom papercut art after friends encouraged her to display pieces at Hamilton's Clementine restaurant and they all sold. Today her art can be found in some shops, but most of her work is custom-ordered, but she also offers classes to others who want to learn paper cutting.

"I’m a huge supporter of the local craft scene in Baltimore," says Kacey Stafford, a mixed media artist.

Kacey Stafford

"Currently I am the President of Charm City Craft Mafia, Inc.  The Charm City Craft Mafia produces two major Indie Craft shows a year, Pile of Craft in June and Holiday Heap in December. "

Shannon Delanoy

Shannon Delanoy uses only organic and recycled to create fanciful clothing and accessories for children and moms from her home near Druid Hill Park. In addition to selling at events like the ACC show, she sells on Etsy. The name of get brand, Sweet Pepita, is named after her little one.

Originally from New York, Susan Fleischer is now a resident of Maryland and has been a professional craftswoman for many years. After exploring pottery, leatherwork, basketry, weaving, rugmaking and hand-painted clothing, she began using polymer clay for making her colorful line of wearable art and home accessories called Casual Elegance. In addition to participating in juried shows in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she offers classes in polymer clay at her studio in Baltimore.

Susan Fleischer

Many of the now-local artists come from elsewhere around the country, but one in particular originates from the Far East…

Yoshi Fujii

Yoshitaka (Yoshi) Fujii was born in Japan, and he is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, but Yoshi and his pastel ceramics may be familiar to visitors of Baltimore Clayworks, where he is a resident artist, instructor and gallery manager. His "YoshiWare" allows anyone the opportunity to enjoy the result of his talents as dinnerware.



The American Craft Council (ACC) Baltimore Show returns every year, and in addition to Baltimore, the ACC organizes annual juried marketplaces in other cities like Atlanta, San Francisco and St. Paul, Minnesota, the state where the ACC is based.