The Artisans Guild of America was founded by Ernie Smith, William (Bill) Maiman, Joseph Biunno, Lisa DeClerico, Margaret Scheffs, Eli Rios, Tony Victoria, Andrew Marlay, Joel Handorff, and David Offer. In 2012, the AGA was granted 501 (C3) status as a non-profit corporation with the mandate of preserving and advancing the tradition of the artisan workroom