Craft Ontario Information

Craft Ontario is a not-for-profit member driven organization, in service of professional craftspeople. As a multi-disciplinary craft organization devoted to the support, advocacy and promotion of Ontario craft and craft makers, Craft Ontario operates as a culturally generative institution in four parts: (1) as an arts-oriented service provider, (2) a visual presentation space, (3) a publisher, and (4) a retailer. Craft Ontario is a registered charitable organization under the legal name Ontario Crafts Council (118878511RR0001), founded in 1976 as a merger between the Canadian Guild of Crafts (1931) and the Ontario Craft Foundation (1966). Based in Toronto since its inception, Craft Ontario currently offers programs and services to 1200 members across Ontario, 1000 of which are active professional craftspeople. Our services and programs provide support for craft makers at all levels of their careers from emerging to established, while raising awareness of, providing access to, and growing appreciation for their work. Craft Ontario’s primary areas of focus include: member services and professional development programming, including workshops, conferences and the annual awards program; exhibitions that contextualize and present contemporary craft practice to the public; the Craft Ontario Shop, a retail presentation space that provides opportunities for members to sell their work; and the nationally-distributed Studio magazine, which fosters critical dialogue in the Canadian craft and design community.