AFS + The Center for Craft Invite Submissions for Special “Craft” Section of 2026 Annual Meeting

AFS and The Center for Craft welcome submissions from folklore scholars, craft scholars, and craftspeople to present during AFS’s 138th Annual Meeting, to be held in Asheville, NC, from Oct. 27-31.

These Craft Sessions will be held at the Center for Craft on Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29.

Workshops will be scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, and Panels, Roundtables, and Craft Mingling will be scheduled for Thursday, October 29.

The Southern Appalachians have long played an influential role in defining, reviving, and supporting craft and craftspeople. And craftspeople have long used craft to challenge and uphold identities; to loudly and quietly resist and protest; to innovate and problem solve; to consider natural resources and management; and to bring people together. Using craft’s rich histories as our backdrop and inspiration, but not as limitation, we invite proposals that reflect diverse perspectives, makers, and objects that define and reflect on craft. In partnership with the Center for Craft, we will host a series of panels, roundtables, workshops, and informal opportunities to share our research, projects, and programs that center craft and craftspeople.

We encourage participation from folks at all stages of their careers, in and outside the field working on craft theories, histories, and practices as it intersects with folklore studies and ethnographic research. Formats can vary, though they ideally adhere to the AFS Meeting guidelines. While presentations do not need to directly address the conference theme, “Community Persistence: Reckoning with Change, Imagining Futures,” we encourage proposals to consider how their work might overlap or align with the conference’s guiding questions.

To submit an individual presentation, organized panel, or forum or roundtable, use the AFS submission form available on the conference platform, Fourwaves. Be sure to indicate your interest in this craft programming partnership on the form where it asks, “Would you like your presentation considered for the special ‘craft’ session of our programming?”

Proposals not selected for the craft program will still be considered for AFS’s regular meeting program.

For explanations about individual presentation types and different types of pre-organized sessions, see proposal types and to prepare for submitting, see details about submitting a proposal.

If you have questions specifically about this Craft Programming, email Dr. Kelley Totten. For more general questions about the AFS submission process and Annual Meeting, email annualmeeting@afsnet.org.