Each year when the holidays arrive, they bring our way a special gift: the American Craft Council's annual Florida show. The Sarasota Bradenton International Convention Center throws its doors wide to accommodate the more than 10,000 people expected to browse the sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate creations of more than 200 jury-selected artists from across the country. And the ACC doesn't use the term "artist" lightly.

While art and design are generally revered in American culture, many in the craft world lament that the word "craft" may still suggest something utilitarian rather than aesthetic. In its seventh year here, the Florida show works to reverse that notion by bringing local audiences face-to-face with the nation's premier craftsmen, who are constantly stretching the boundaries of their imaginations and their techniques in sculpture, jewelry, clothing, glass, wood, fiber and other media.

General admission for the show, running Dec. 2-4, is $10 per person, with children under 12 and ACC members free. For more information call (800) 836-9470.