[5] In 1939, philanthropist and social advocate Aileen Osborn Webb formed the Handcraft Cooperative League of America, an affiliation of craft groups organized to develop markets in metropolitan areas for rural craftsmen.

[7] For the next decade, the Council maintained their New York retail venue, initiated exhibitions featuring practicing craft artists (including Designer Craftsmen USA, which was hosted by the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the San Francisco Museum of Art,[8]) and hosted national competitions such as "Young Americans" for craftspeople under 30.

For the next decade, the council continued to host conferences, present and tour exhibitions through the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, and expand educational and awards programs.

In the July/August 1961 issue Slivka published the article The New Ceramic Presence, in which she reported on the abstract, sculptural work of Peter Voulkos, John Mason, and others.

[10] In 1966, ACC held its first regional craft fair in Stowe, Vermont, a precursor to the annual shows the Council continues to present in Baltimore, Atlanta, Saint Paul, and San Francisco.

[7] In the 2000s, the Council renamed and restructured its awards program and begins hosting "convenings," small-scale gatherings of key stakeholders in the field of craft meant to encourage peer-to-peer conversation.

In 2010, ACC relocated from New York City to Minneapolis, Minnesota, establishing an office and library in the historic Grain Belt Brewery building at 1224 Marshall Street NE.