Donald Friedlich, elected by the American Craft Council (ACC) to their prestigious College of Fellows

Since 1975, the American Craft Council has recognised individuals for outstanding contributions to the crafts in America by awarding the distinction of Fellow of the Council.

To be nominated, an artist must demonstrate leadership in the field, outstanding ability as an artist, and 20 years or more of professional achievement as a craftsperson who has spent a significant portion of their career in the United States. Awardees are nominated by the active College of Fellows and an invited group of guest nominators. The final selection of the cohort is made by the ACC Awards Committee, whose members include only current Fellows—making this distinction even more meaningful because it is not awarded by critics, scholars, or collectors, but by one’s peers.

In addition to artists, individuals who have made their own significant contribution to the craft movement are nominated and elected as Honorary Fellows, their designation including all the distinction and recognition of the College. The significance of the College of Fellows to the field cannot be overstated, and the value of material related to the individuals has proportional importance to the preservation and scholarship of American craft.

As an artist and in his extraordinary service, Donald Friedlich has been a leading figure in contemporary American jewelry for four decades. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Friedlich served a term as President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). His jewelry has been shown in museums all over the world and is in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and many others. He’s been an artist in residence at the Corning Museum of Glass, Australian National University, California College of Art, and has lectured at more than 100 universities and conferences internationally. Recently he was the keynote speaker at the annual SNAG conference and a James Renwick Distinguished Artist speaker at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.


The award ceremony will take place in Minneapolis, MN, September 4-6, during ACC's national conference, American Craft Connects.

This recognition includes a monetary award of $5000 which was made possible with support from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.