Standards
 
STANDARDS FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR SCREENING & MEMBERSHIP

 

These standards and policies are applied to all craft categories and must be met to be eligible to screen for Guild membership and to maintain Guild membership after acceptance into the Guild.

 

HANDCRAFTED:

 

All work submitted for screening and exhibited by membership must be handcrafted by the applicant or Guild member crafter. For Guild purposes,  “handcrafted” is defined as the execution of the crafter’s own original design. The crafter must provide the original artistic concept and execute that concept into a tangible item.

 

The faithful execution of traditional handcraft is acceptable. The applicant crafter must demonstrate the authenticity of his/her work and would be judged on how successfully the work follows that tradition instead of the originality of design.

 

Artists having their design concepts executed by others are considered to be designers and are not eligible for Guild membership. Executing the design of someone else is a non-mechanized way of producing handmade items, but also does not qualify for Guild membership.

 

PURCHASED ATTACHMENTS:

 

The use of purchased items in conjunction with the handcrafted item is acceptable as long as the focus remains on the handcrafted items. For example, a hand-thrown pottery teapot with a purchased handle is acceptable; a purchased teapot with a handmade handle is not. Examples not as readily apparent will be decided by the Standards Committee with review and approval by the Board of Directors.
 
CATEGORY STANDARDS
 
 
If you have any questions about our current standards for membership eligibility, please contact our Screening & Membership Chairperson.

OVERALL PRODUCT STANDARDS

 

The following standards were formulated so that uniform and consistent standards can be applied to Pacific Handcrafters Guild (Guild) membership screenings, the goal being a fair and objective screening for all applicants.

 

These standards are meant to find not only qualified applicants, but to offer constructive comments to both those applicants that qualify and those that fail to qualify for Guild membership.

 

DESIGN

 

Design embodies the basic creative concept of the artist/craftsman, i.e., how well are the design elements (line, shape, color texture, value, space and composition) used.  Is there a high degree of originality or uniqueness by the artist/craftsman in the development and execution of the basic concept or use of traditional design?

 

CRAFTMANSHIP     

 

Craftsmanship is the implementation of the design concepts in crating a finished two or three dimensional art/craft piece.  The finished handcrafted piece must reflect a high level of competence in terms of technical ability, workmanship and attention to detail in the execution of its design. The finished art/craft object should fulfill its function.  Decoration is a function.

 

MATERIALS 

 

The selection and use of materials is important.  Quality and durability of the materials must be appropriate to the function of the craft.  The majority of the materials must be predominantly with the screened category.  Purchased and manufactured parts and patterns must be substantially altered or used in such a manner that the artist’s input becomes the focal point.

 

NO KITS ARE ALLOWED

 

The craft must not be merely an assemblage of manufactured parts.

 

OVERALL IMPRESSION

 

Overall impression is the aesthetic response to the craft.  The finished handcrafted piece must have an aesthetic quality which is greater than a combination of design, craftsmanship, and materials.  The artist/craftsman’s input must be the majorcreative content of the craft.  The craft should uphold or enhance the image of the Guild as a crafts organization striving for excellence. 

 

 
MEMBERSHIP STATUS:

Members may apply for membership as individuals or in one or more categories. Categories to be screened separately and added or deleted through the regularly scheduled screenings.

Members may also apply for membership as center members. Those qualifying for center membership are two or more individuals working within the same craft category or categories on the same items or family members residing in the same household working in the same or in different craft categories. Persons residing separately and producing their own craft items do not qualify as center members. All center embers must be full and equal partners with one business name and identity. Employees cannot be a member of a center.

It is understood that changes in membership status will occur as time passes. These changes are to be reported to the Standards Committee and the member shall be rescreened at the next regularly scheduled screening.

ASSEMBLAGE/EMBELLISHMENT

Craft items produced using the assemblage of purchased or found items or by embellishing a purchased item will be judged in Assemblage or Embellishment categories. The standards for design and overall impression for these categories is very high as these items are exceptions to all other categories in which the crafted item must be produced from relatively raw materials.

It is understood that while the above criteria was met at the time of application and acceptance, the choices a crafter may make during his/her Guild membership sometimes means that they no loner meet these criteria. It is expected that at that time, the member crafter would notify the Guild of these changes and discontinue his/her membership. Pacific Handcrafters gulled structures its programs to meet the needs of crafters who produce their crafts in accordance with the above guidelines. The Guild is pleased to have been a part of the support and growth of those who choose to expand beyond the individual hands-on crafter, but must restrict its membership to the above criteria in order to maintain integrity and focus.

 
     
 
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