Craft for a Greater Good (CGG) is an initiative to connect with and serve our annual conference cities through partnerships and the creation of impactful projects. The Furniture Society will engage people through the creative problem-solving process of furniture making. This will position craft and design as tools of empowerment and universal connection.

Craft for a Greater Good will:
- Inspire young people to work with their hands, engage in creative problem solving, and understand the value of making.
- Exemplify what our field has to offer, broadening engagement with our members.
- Help identify and meet a need within the community.
- Co-create work with lasting social benefit and impact.
- Expand our membership.
- Position our annual gatherings as more than just a single moment in time, but rather as an ongoing platform for dialogue and action.
- Allow our members, who carry a vast amount of knowledge, to pass on skill sets to the next generation.
2021 Local Resident Fellows
Annie Evelyn & Ellie Richards
In this iteration of Craft for a Greater Good, Annie & Ellie will be the liaison between TFS and our partners at STEAM Studios and our membership to explore the design-build process which includes developing designs, and prototyping furniture for tiny homes that will be used by BeLoved Asheville as they serve the homeless population in Asheville.
The launch of our new Local Resident Fellow position will allow us to forge a deeper connection and long-term commitment to our host city, ensuring the success of this program.
Sponsors
Craft for a Greater Good — How it all began…
During the 2018 Furniture Society Member Meeting, a member received a standing ovation for her suggestion that the Furniture Society find ways to make a difference in the cities where we host our annual conferences.
In response, the Craft for a Greater Good initiative was launched in 2019 in conjunction with our conference in Milwaukee. The goal of the project was to position furniture and creative problem solving as universal connectors, to tap our rich collective skill sets, and to pass those skills on to the next generation while making a meaningful contribution to the local community. Conference attendees, partner organizations, craftspeople, and local residents collaboratively created work with lasting social benefit and have affected positive change.
2020 Craft For A Greater Good — Asheville, NC
Building Place, Shaping Identity, Creating Community
This years Craft for a Greater Good will be held at STEAM studios — on the campus of UNC Asheville. Brent Skidmore and his talented team will help educate local youth and teach them to create furniture for BeLoved Asheville, an organization that helps build micro homes for those in need.
Stay tuned for more details of how you can get involved!
2019 Craft For A Greater Good — Milwaukee, WI
In conjunction with the FS19 Groundwork conference, The Furniture Society partnered with two local organizations: HOME GR/OWN an initiative working to transform neighborhoods in Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) Teen Internship Program, connecting teens with practicing artists to address issues important to their community. During the span of the conference, attendees used unique and surprising materials to construct benches designed by Madison, Wisconsin artist, Tom Loeser, for the Victory Over Violence park.