Bruce Baker was born March 6, 1951, in Sidney, Ohio. His interest in metalsmithing was aroused during his college days. Accordingly, he was awarded a M.A. from the Graduate School of Art, Bowling Green State University in Ohio in 1975.

The concentration of this graduate work was Metalwork and Enameling, following a study of Speech and Drama as an undergraduate.

Following graduation, Bruce moved to Vermont, where he taught art at the Middlebury Union Jr. High School for two years and also conducted jewelry-making and enameling classes for the Vermont State Craft Center at Frog Hollow.

During this time, he maintained his own studio. The exchange of stimulating ideas and jewelry-making techniques with Tom Baker led to their artistic collaboration and, subsequently, to the formation of Baker and Baker, Inc.

This joint venture was a business that lasted for 10 years. Tom and Bruce sold to over 120 shops and galleries, as well as catalogues such as Horchow, Winterthur, and the Smithsonian. During this decade, they did numerous juried craft shows throughout the country. (See resume)

Over the past 16 years, Bruce has taught more than 500 workshops throughout the United States and Canada on the subjects of Booth Construction, Marketing, Sales, Slide Presentations, Customer Service, Visual Merchandising, Trends that affect the Craft/Gift Business and Jewelry Display.

I present these workshops to both craftmakers and sellers as well as other industry related groups.

Bruce lives with his wife Nancie, in rural Middlebury, Vermont. They opened their first retail store, Sweet Cecily, in 1987. The store sells handcrafted items with a focus on folk art and is a favorite for tourists in the area and country wide in their online retail store.

Two years later, they opened Great Falls Collection, a jewelry and nature store, which features items for the home and garden with a focus on the environment. For two holiday seasons they operated a kiosk called Nature Station in the University Mall, South Burlington, Vermont. Bruce served on the board of directors for the American Craft Council for three years from 1989 to 1992 and was a founding member and vice chairman of the American Craft Association (a division of the American Craft Council a membership organization to provide services and benefits to crafts people).

February 1992 began his final year of his board term where he served as the Secretary of the American Craft Council. Bruce is the past President of the Downtown Middlebury Business Bureau, and currently serving on its board and has also served on the board of directors of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont State Craft Center at Frog Hollow.