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Louisiana Crafts Guild, is a Non-Profit Community of Professional Craftsmen.

We would love to have you join our community of professional Louisiana artists. The preservation of our culture and success of our artwork comes from the strength of our ties to each other. The Louisiana Crafts Guild wants to help you be prosperous and have opportunities to grow your business and grow as an artist.

Applications are open from January 1 through November 1 of each year.

As a juried organization of professional artists, our application process has 2 steps.

Apply to be a Guild Member

Step 1: Submit your new artist application for review which includes photos of your work and a little about yourself. Applications will be reviewed within a month of receipt. You will receive feedback from professional artists on your application no matter the outcome of the review. No payment is required.

Step 2: With a successful review of your photos in your initial application, you will move on to a jury review of your physical work. Professional artists knowledgeable in your media will explore your artwork in person at The Guild’s galleries in Lafayette or New Orleans. These juries will be convened when there are 5 or more applicants. The fee for this jury is $35 and requires 3 pieces of recent work that represents your body of artwork. You will be able to deliver these pieces to either gallery that is convenient for you.

If you have questions about the process or need accommodations of any sort, please contact us at suzanne@louisianacrafts.org. We are here to help!

Apply Now

Why Join the Louisiana Crafts Guild?

All members benefit from the following for resources with our $120 annual membership fee.

First and foremost, we create a community of artists and crafts people across Louisiana and South United States. Our members are cultural bearers of crafts passed down from generation to generation to creative innovators in their mediums and handmade makers with beautiful ideas. Together, we’re a diverse community of artists and craftspeople bonded with the same passion to create, find opportunities, and leave the greater community filled with handmade creations.

Our members are provided with a variety of special opportunities exclusive to them to show their work. Some of these opportunities come and go while others are available annually or waive an application or jury to participate. As a Louisiana Crafts Guild Member, you’ll get to take advantage of these opportunities as they become available. Some of our annual member-exclusive opportunities are:

Member Exclusive Events
Our members are given the privilege to join certain festivals and shows before the general public gets the chance! Here are just a few of our annual events with this member perk. 

Pre-Juried Events/Opportunities

The Louisiana Crafts Guild operates two galleries across the state in Lafayette and New Orleans where our members are allowed to sell their art on commission. Additionally, we have satellite galleries across the state.

Member Galleries

Satellite Galleries

Our close ties to many arts organizations provides us with opportunities to connect our members with a variety or exposure opportunities.

Being a part of the Louisiana Crafts Guild will keep you up to date on resources and benefits. We have close contacts with the Louisiana Division of the Arts and other regional arts councils, ensuring that our membership learns of resources and opportunities useful to them. Additionally, we also offer a few discounts to our membersCall to Artists

  • Update on Artist Resources, Workshops, and Events
  • 10% Discount at Guild Galleries 

The Louisiana Crafts Guild wishes to acknowledge the best of Louisiana craftspeople practicing their craft today. A Master Craftsman is someone who has demonstrated superior talent, artistic skill and knowledge in their chosen craft. 

Historically, an artist wishing to become a master in a guild must pass through the apprentice stage and then practice their craft for 3 to 5 years as a journeyman. The journeyman was then required to produce a masterpiece before they were to be considered masters in their guild. We actively continue this tradition and award our hardworking members who have mastered their craft with this title. 

Explore our Master Craftsmans.

Who Do We Accept? Artists, Crafts People, and Makers

Founded originally for fine craft artists working in 3D crafts, The Louisiana Crafts Guild now accepts 2D artists with Louisiana cultural relevance in their works’ themes. We recognize the  guidelines set by the Division of the Arts Crafts Marketing Program and require that our artists create original works of high quality and refined creative expression. Learn more about our Standards for work.

Ritual & Festive Crafts
Voodoo dolls, Mardi Gras mask, etc. 

Native American Crafts
Palmetto weaving, moss dolls, woodcarvings, etc. 

Domestic Crafts
Quilting, weaving, soap making, broom making, etc. 

Folk Instruments
Fiddle making, triangle (tee fer), wash boards (frottoirs) etc. 

Rural Occupational Crafts
Blacksmithing, rope making, boat building, etc. 

Clay
Thrown or hand built forms. If a mold is used it must have been designed by the artist. No mass-produced ware. 

Fiber
Spinning, weaving, weaving baskets, cane bottom chairs, pine needle baskets and hand-woven cottons, etc. 

Glass
Flat “cold” and “hot” glass processes (stained glass, blown glass, laminated glass, etc.) 

Metal
Enameling, casting, granulation, repousse, engraving, metal spinning, inlay, cutlery, sculpture, decorative and utilitarian ironwork, etc. 

Wood
Furniture, carving, sculpting, etc. (If a clock is made, the mechanism can be purchased, but not the housing – must be hand made.) 

Mixed Media
Drawing and painting are allowed if part of an original piece of art in 3D. Example: Decorative gourds. Other examples of mixed media would be collages, decoupage on an original 3D item, and architectural salvage, altered or assembled in an aesthetic creative manner. Beading: if commercial beads are used they must be used in a creative manner and not just strung with the use of commercial clasps . Fabric dyeing – silk and batiking are eligible. Block printing is eligible only if the original block is submitted for review with the printed pieces.

Painting
Original watercolors, oils, and acrylics and works on paper that represent and evoke the urban and rural cultures and traditions of Louisiana.

Photography
Color and Black & White photography that represent and evoke the urban and rural cultures and traditions of Louisiana. Prints must be limited edition (up to 100) and signed and numbered.

For questions about how to apply and the next application deadline, please contact Gene Meneray at gene@louisianacrafts.org or call 504-330-5523.