Hello! Welcome to the German Crafts Council's Information Board!

• Are you looking for information about German arts and crafts?
• Do you want to know where arts and crafts are exhibited in Germany, in which museums and galleries throughout the nation and how to personally get in touch with German craftspersons?
• Are you interested in contemporary crafts as a journalist, collector, gallery owner or exhibition planner and thus looking for competent contacts that can provide up-to-date information or constructive and cooperative help?

Then the German Crafts Council is a vital partner for you!

The German Crafts Council is the umbrella organization for professional craftspersons in Germany, working as an unaffiliated, nonpartisan organization. The "Bundesverband Kunsthandwerk" (BK) is a national organization. Its main objective is representing its members' interests in the economic and cultural promotion of contemporary arts and crafts.

BK currently counts craftspersons, designers and free-lance artists as members. Membership admission is determined by the selection committee and is based on the quality of work submitted by the artist.

Goals and Objectives

Because we are a professional association, the economic promotion of our members is very important to us. At the same time, our work focuses on the cultural promotion of contemporary crafts throughout Germany. Our aims are to elevate contemporary crafts to a more prominent position in the public's consciousness and to stimulate an intensive debate about these works.

Our main goals are of course the support and promotion of our members and that is why it is vital that we provide as much information about our members and their works to everyone and anyone interested in German crafts. Some of the ways in which we do this are:

Services

• the planning and implementation of exhibitions and special viewings of members' works
• the organization of member participation at domestic and international trade fairs (e.g., International Frankfurt Fair Ambiente; the New York NOW; Ambiente/Interior Lifestyle in Tokyo, Interior Lifestyle Shanghai)
• .studio: a members magazine with information on competitions, exhibitions and other events of interest as well as reports on news and happenings from the state-level associations and the home office
• BK Newsletter: a members newsletter that reports up-to-date news from the world of arts and crafts, available per e-mail-demand
• comprehensive information regarding taxes, legal questions and mandatory social payroll witholdings including health insurance, unemployment and retirement payments
• holding of seminars and workshops for and by craftspersons with various focal points; an annual summer member-gathering, each year with a different theme
• a welcoming kit for new members with all important information, plus a membership ID card that enables discounts to affiliated museums, galleries and other organizations

Activities

Among BK's other most important activities are:

• public relations, including close work with national press agencies and newspapers
• the organization and administration of crafts-related symposia
• the publication of various information materials that focus on current topics and issues in contemporary arts and crafts
• the administration of a diverse information center that includes a comprehensive body of reference works, a slide library and an archive, accessible by all persons interested in contemporary arts and crafts.
• cooperations with museums, galleries and institutions of higher education, as well as exchange with supra-regional associations
• lobbying efforts at the German Office of Cultural Affairs and the German Confederation of Guild Crafts
• membership in the World Crafts Council International and the World Crafts Council Europe

Should you need further information, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.