| Founder(s) | James and Mary Plaut |
|---|---|
| Type | International Development |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Location | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Key people | David O’Connor, President Clare Brett Smith, President Emerita |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Website | www.aidtoartisans.org |
Aid to Artisans (ATA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Hartford, Connecticut whose mission is to offer "practical assistance to artisan groups worldwide, working in partnerships to foster artistic traditions, cultural vitality, improved livelihoods and community well-being."[1] ATA works with artisans in every region of the world through its product and market development programs, business skills training and Small Grants Program.[2]
ATA has worked with prominent designers such as Jonathan Adler.[3]
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Aid to Artisans was founded in 1976 in Boston, Massachusetts by James S. Plaut, former Secretary General of the World Crafts Council (WCC), and his wife Mary. Working through ATA, their goal was to give artisans practical assistance selling their products thus providing them with sustainable streams of income. With this in mind, ATA began importing high quality crafts and selling them to museum stores in the United States under the assumption that this was the most fertile market for handcrafts. [4]
However, in the early 1980s, ATA began moving away from the limited museum store market to a broader strategy of providing artisan groups with product development assistance, market links and business skills training: three services that remain at the core of the ATA model. At this time, ATA also started its Small Grants Program which gives artisans the means to improve their production capacity and quality by purchasing new equipment and materials. [4]
In 1986, James and Mary Plaut retired and ATA moved to Farmington, Connecticut, the home of its new President Clare Brett Smith, an experienced commercial crafts importer and photographer. In 2000, ATA moved to its current office in Hartford.
ATA's first major project was funded by USAID in Honduras (1984-1986) and since then ATA has worked in over 110 countries throughout Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia including current projects in Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Egypt, Mozambique, South Africa, Senegal, Afghanistan, India, and Tajikistan. [2]