TACA launches annual open membership drive

Tennessee Association of Craft Artists has launched its annual membership drive. Membership in TACA is open to anyone interested in crafts, and includes a wide spectrum of involvement from the beginner to the professional craftsperson, collectors and craft supporters, students, teachers, craft schools and art departments, craft suppliers, shop and gallery owners.

Founded in 1965, TACA connects crafts and people through education, marketing and networking opportunities. With a major commitment to quality and to education, the organization seeks to increase public appreciation for the crafts of Tennessee, while encouraging Tennessee’s craft artists to strive for excellence and to develop professionally.

As the only statewide, non-profit organization devoted exclusively to encourage, develop and promote crafts and craftspeople in Tennessee, TACA provides its members with the following:

• A network of more than 600 members statewide

• A bimonthly newsletter, the Tennessee Artisan, to keep members informed of meetings, chapter news, workshops, exhibits, competitions and state and national craft information

• Free listing in the membership directory and a complimentary copy

• Discounts on entry fees for TACA’s workshops and juried events such as the Biennial exhibition The Best of Tennessee Crafts, the annual Tennessee Crafts Fair and TACA Fall Crafts Fair in Nashville’s Centennial Park and the Celebration of Fine Crafts in Chattanooga

• Local activities and opportunities for members in regions with an active chapter

• A unified voice for crafts in Tennessee

Coming up March 8 is a seminar on insurance, web marketing and tax planning for the small business owner with a home studio slated at the Appalachian Center for Crafts and TACA’s 32nd annual Tennessee Crafts Fair in Centennial Park, Nashville, on May 2, 3 and 4. Scheduled for fall are the TACA Fall Crafts Fair in Centennial Park, Sept. 26 and 27, and the Celebration of Fine Crafts in Chattanooga’s Coolidge Park, Oct. 4 and 5.

For information on TACA or its programs, contact TACA, P.O. Box 120066, Nashville, Tenn. 37212 or call (615) 385-1904.