BRIEFLY . . .

Acclaimed woodworker Sam Maloof was awarded the American Craft Council’s Gold Medal in San Diego on Monday for his “unprecedented impact on generations of artists.” The council, which operates the American Craft Museum in New York, cited Maloof’s “outstanding artistic and technical achievements as a furniture maker over four decades.” A 1985 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellowship, Maloof, 72, of Alta Loma in San Bernardino County is only the eighth person to receive the Craft Council’s top honor in 18 years.