Blog

What makes craft so important? by David Short

May 15, 2012

With my discovery of craft, came the realization that we have the ability to influence and shape the world around us.  As a result, craft has begun to play a significant role in how I live and has influenced my thoughts about how we ought to lead our lives. Craft is a vital part of what makes us human, as it supplies an important physical link between ourselves and our environment.  Those who engage in craft are inspired by their environment, manipulate materials that exist within that environment and, then, go on to live within the new environment that they have created.  From the knowledge that we can manipulate what is directly around us, those who engage in craft develop a sense of control that can be translated into all aspects of life.

David Short - Pennsylvania Hills Chair

What is essential to and important about craft is not that it is handmade but, instead, that craft must be sensitive to the link between the earth and us.  Those engaged in craft must have a certain level of understanding of the nature of materials and how they are used to create a product. This sensitivity is more significant than the specific materials used or the particular production method employed.  What does matter, and what makes craft so important, is how craft, both in terms of process and product, has the capacity to have an effect on both its maker and its consumer. When people live with something that embodies this sensitivity, they, themselves, become more sensitive.  This sensitivity to the environment, especially now, at a time when people seem to have become increasingly separated from it, is of the utmost importance to maintaining a human connection to our surroundings.

Craft is important because of what it can teach us.   But, it also is important because of the joy of the unveiled experience of the physical world that is discovered through craft.

David Short is a junior at RIT’s School for American Crafts for woodworking and furniture design.  He is also a co-founder of the design firm Edgewood Made.

Filed Under: Craft Artists Tagged With: , ,

Craft Spoken Here, an exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

May 8, 2012

The  Craft Show Committee and the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are pleased to co-host a Cocktail Reception to celebrate Craft Spoken Here.  The exhibition is curated by Elisabeth Agro, The Nancy M. McNeil Associate Curator of American Modern and Contemporary Crafts and Decorative Arts.  The event takes place on Friday, May 11, 2012 from 6:00 – 8:00pm in the Perelman Building.   

New look for the Perelman Building in celebration of Craft Spoken Here.

Crafts were prominent among the first works of art to enter the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art when it was founded in 1876, and the Museum has continued to collect and exhibit crafts. Today, thanks in large part to the Women’s Committee and gifts from individuals, the Museum is particularly well-known for its holdings of twentieth-and twenty-first-century American, European, and Asian craft.

With Craft Spoken Here, the Museum seizes the opportunity to experiment with its collection and to understand craft in an international context. Some forty contemporary works from 1960 to the present in ceramic, glass, metal, wood, lacquer, paper, and fiber—some by living, acclaimed artists and others by lesser-known creators—are on view. Representing the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe, the works highlight formal qualities that cross cultures, time, and media.

The Exhibition is located in the Perelman Building from May 5, 2012 – August 12, 2012.  Craft Spoken Here features an array of engaging education programs and interpretive materials, including on-site artist demonstrations and hands-on craft making activities for the public.

To purchase tickets for Craft Spoken Here Cocktail Reception click here.

 

 

Filed Under: A Craft Affair Tagged With: , ,

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Art Glass in the United States

May 1, 2012

In the summer of 1962, Harvey K. Littleton led a glassblowing workshop at the Toledo Museum of Art, introducing the idea that glass can be mixed, melted and blown in a studio-based furnace, all by the artist.  This revolutionary concept launched the studio art glass movement in America.

Shortly after his first workshop, Littleton started a graduate course and glass studio at the University of Wisconsin.  This attracted artist Dale Chihuly, who adopted this avant-garde art form and quickly became a leader in the widespread adoption of studio art glass.

Fifty years later, art glass is an extremely popular medium.  As part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show each year, several artists exhibit their glass works.  To acknowledge the accomplishments of studio art glass artists, a few of the pieces from last year are shown below:

Vase by Brian Becher

 

Lantern by Dan Mirer

 

Bowl by Michael Schunke

 

Sources: www.littletoncollection.com/Littleton,%20Harvey/harvey_littleton.htm, http://www.chihuly.com/biography.aspx, both accessed April 12, 2012.

Filed Under: Craftsmen, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Craft Show Committee visits the Center for Art in Wood

April 24, 2012

Craft Show Committee members at the Center

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show Committee held their March meeting at the Center for Art in Wood formerly known as the Wood Turning Center-new name and new location.  After a brief committee meeting, the group took a tour of the new facility.  Albert and Tina LeCoff were there to conduct the tours and share their knowledge with the group.   There were many recognizable objects of art including Bill Hunter, an amazing woodturner we-knew-when.

The Center displays wood art on site. The International Turning Exchange (ITE) residency program has involved over 100 international residents as it continues through its second decade. The Community Outreach program brings hands-on wood turning and woodworking experience to students throughout the region. The permanent collection contains over 850 objects from around the world, ranging from traditional functional every-day objects to contemporary sculpture. The research library consists of over 25,000 images, artists’ files and books that help preserve the exciting history of wood turning and woodworking and their continuing evolution as a contemporary art form.

While on 3rd Street committee members took advantage of the time before lunch and stopped in to see exhibitions at two galleries nearby:  the Snyderman-Works Galleries and the Wexler Gallery.    Fiber Philadelphia is everywhere!

Following the lovely and educational morning, the committee moved to Fork for a tasty and lively luncheon in their private dining room.

 

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show Tagged With: , , , ,

Ruby Red indeed!

April 17, 2012

A couple of weeks ago the Huffington Post Styleist Home blog published an article that grabbed our attention: The color palette that can make your home seem brighter, cleaner and sexier. Ruby Red!

“Whether it’s a small vase or chandelier, what’s important to know about decorating with ruby red is that it works especially well against neutral color schemes. Because of its blue undertone, ruby red naturally complements white furniture, making the pieces appear brighter and whiter.”

A good point… That made us go through last year’s craft show archives and pull up some great Ruby Red finds for your home!

 

A blush basket from Jackie Abrams

A crimson piece from Cliff Lee

A vermillion bench by Damian Velasquez

A carmine jar by Dan Mirer

C.T. Whitehouse’s burgundy platters

What were your Ruby Red finds at the 2011 Craft Show? What will you be looking for this November?

Filed Under: Home & Design Tagged With: , , , , ,

NYIGF and Handmade, January 2012

April 10, 2012

There are so many opportunities for craft artists to show their work in this country.   Many years ago the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) introduced an opportunity for contemporary craft artists.    On a recent trip to New York  in January 2012,  I spent hours walking the section of the show designated as Handmade.  There was much to see and absorb-a visual feast.

Wendy Stevens modeling her new work.

How wonderful it is to see artists who are ever-evolving with materials and design to create a new body of work.  Going to other shows gives me an opportunity to talk with the artists and hear and see what’s new.   Wendy Stevens‘ stainless steel handbags are one-of-a-kind.  She is an example of an artist who continues to build on an existing solid body work of by adding new and wonderful ideas, techniques and designs.

Walking around the corner to another aisle I came upon the booth of another talented artist, Cara Romano.  She is a jeweler from Maine and a board member of the Maine Crafts Association.  She uses painted felt to create textured and colorful jewelry.

Cara Romano

In addition to artists working in the United States you will see  contemporary craft artists from Germany and Great Britain.  They are all makers, one-of-a-kind and there for the world to enjoy.  It was great to visit with friends and see new work.

In November 2012, the 36th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show will showcase 26 artists from Britain as part of the Guest Artist Program.    We look forward to greeting them along with 195 of the best craft artists from across the United States.

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show, Craft Artists, Fashion, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

The British are coming!

April 5, 2012

Arts & Craft lovers have a new reason to visit the 36th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.   The guest country featured at this year’s Craft Show will be Great Britain, birthplace of the Arts & Crafts Movement.

After the success of the country’s first visit in 2003, and following in the steps of the Scottish artists last year, a group of 26 British craft artists will participate along with 195 artists from across the United States.  Craft Show Management is working closely with Yvonna Demczynska of Flow Gallery.

According to Lisa Woolbert, 2012 Show Chair: “This is such an important year for the British – the Queen’s Jubilee, The London Olympics, and, best of all, 26 artists from Britain will be showcased at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show!  I look forward to seeing the beautiful objects they will exhibit at the Show.”

The guest artist component was introduced to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show in 2001. Past guest artist groups include: Scotland (2011), Korea (2009), Israel (2008), Canada (2007), Finland (2006), Germany (2005 & 2010), Ireland (2004), Great Britain (2003), First Nation (2002), and Japan (2001).

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show Tagged With: , , ,

Amy Forsyth has a serious interest in Art, Architecture and Design

April 3, 2012

Amy Forsyth, Associate Professor, Department of Art, Architecture and Design at Lehigh University,  writes the following inspirational words.

Drawing by Amy Forsyth

I teach Furniture and Three-dimensional design at Lehigh University. I’ve taught at the University level now for 20 years, having started in architecture, and moved to furniture design and construction as my own interests shifted in that direction.  I still value the conceptual skills that architecture taught me, but the craving to make something with my own hands became imperative. And so I practice and teach creative thinking through the making of objects.

Students educated through craft learn persistence.  They experience the satisfaction of creating something from nothing. They learn the importance of reiteration, of the ways in which something can develop and grow with continued attention and imagination. They learn that sometimes the hands have their own intelligence that is only later grasped by the mind. These are valuable lessons for all people, and ones that will help them to learn and grow and think about their surroundings in a proactive way.

 

Cabinet of Curiosities by Amy Forsyth and Mark Sfirri

An argument for handmade objects is no less than an argument made in favor of the physical world, its textures and colors and aromas and surfaces, its variations and subtleties, the world of the mind that uses the eyes and the hands to express itself. No matter how digital our world becomes, we still have our sensual bodies, we still have minds and eyes and hands that respond to intelligent objects that have been made by those with a responsiveness to the senses, and the ability to discover the infinite varieties of what each material can do.  It’s an essential human predisposition, this desire to fiddle with materials, to see what they can become, to find some clever way to transform raw substances into something orderly that reveals the mind’s workings.

Craft, as in “craftsmanship,” promotes exploration and discovery of the physical world. It does not rest within the known, but seeks to find the small accident that transforms something recognized and expected into something completely new.  It searches for that “aha!” moment, when suddenly, the world tips a little on its axis and is seen once again as something brand new with every possibility spread before us.

 

 

 

Filed Under: A Craft Affair, Craftsmen, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Drinking the Craft Kool-Aid

March 27, 2012

2012 Chair Lisa Woolbert is getting her committee ready by providing them with tote bags filled with information.

Eight years ago a good friend invited me to ‘booth sit’ at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.  “What is the Craft Show, birdhouses and macramé planters,” I asked.  She smiled and replied, “Come see for yourself.”

Fast-forward to today.  I am very excited to be Chairman of the 36th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show 2012!  I am drinking the Craft Kool-Aid.  When I arrived at the Convention Center all those years ago I entered a very special world where I was able to meet and converse with incredibly talented artists.  Artists love to tell you about their work, their craft – their inspiration, their material, their technique, their journey. Walking up and down the aisles of the Show floor I am amazed at the creativity of the works of art and the range of media: glass, ceramics, metal, wood, fiber, baskets, and jewelry – and all handmade art – one of a kind!  Many of the artists have pieces installed in museum permanent collections such as the Smithsonian, The Metropolitan Museum, The Philadelphia Museum of Art and The White House.

Each piece of art that my husband and I have purchased over the years from the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show has a special place in our hearts and in our home.  I smile when I pass Natalia Margulis’ fiber decorative piece depicting a snow-covered valley.  My hand has to touch and feel the silkiness of Holly Tornheim’s wood platter that I keep on a stand on my sofa table.  Nancy Nicholson’s stained glass painting shines a kaleidoscope of multi-color reflections all over my staircase and entryway walls. Do I own objects from Pottery Barn and Ethan Allen? Of course! But they don’t compare to the feeling I have when I look at my Spirit Vessel made by basket artist Jackie Abrams.  Jackie is both an artist and teacher.   “My pieces speak of the cultures and the women I have encountered. Their lives, their fabrics, and their colors inform the vessels I create”, says Jackie.  It gives me pleasure to have her basket vessel sitting proudly on my fireplace mantelpiece.

Wood platter by Holly Tornheim

One of this year’s goals is to communicate and educate our friends, family, and community on an extraordinary art form known as Contemporary Craft.  One way we will achieve that is through blogs found on our website-like this one.  Check back weekly for articles written by artists, gallery owners, curators, students, and craft collectors.   See you at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, November 8-11, Preview Party on November 7th.

One last thing, the Craft Kool-Aid is delicious!

 

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show, Craft Artists, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Announcing the 2012 Craft Show Jurors

February 10, 2012

The 36th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show is more than excited to announce its jurors for the 2012 Show:

Lewis Knauss (Professor of Textile Design) retired after more than 20 years at Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA. He is also a nationally recognized fiber artist. He has a BS from Kutztown University and an MFA from Tyler School of Art. Lewis has participated in numerous national, international and one person exhibitions. His work is included in many public and private collections, among them, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Art (Houston) and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Collection.

Since 2000, Marthe Le Van has written, edited, juried, or curated more than 40 books, including all the jewelry titles in Lark Crafts’ popular “500” series. As an author and curator, her recent publications include 21st Century Jewelry and Ring A Day. Before joining Lark Crafts, Le Van served as creative director of Blue Spiral 1 gallery in Asheville, North Carolina and as curator for glass artist Harvey K. Littleton. Le Van is a member of the Art Jewelry Forum and the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She has a dual degree in art history and arts administration from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Marthe makes her home in the beautifully eccentric Appalachian hotspot of Asheville, North Carolina.

David Revere McFadden is Chief Curator and Vice-President for Programs and Collections at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York City. He served as Curator of Decorative Arts and Assistant Director for Collections and Research at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution from 1978 to 1995. For six years, he served as President of the International Council of Museums’ Decorative Arts and Design Committee. McFadden has organized more than 120 exhibitions on decorative arts, design, and craft, covering developments from the ancient world to the present day, has published more than 100 catalogues, essays, articles, and reviews, and has lectured extensively. McFadden has received the Presidential Design Award three times, is an Associate Member, The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, London; Knight First Class, Order of the Lion of Finland; Knight Commander, Order of the Northern Star of Sweden; and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.

Alleghany Meadows is a studio potter and gallery owner in Aspen, CO. He received his BA from Pitzer College, Claremont, CA, and his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Alleghany has presented lectures, workshops and been a visiting artist at many art centers and universities nationally and internationally, including Penland, Alfred, Southern Methodist University, Anderson Ranch, Archie Bray Foundation, Arrowmont, Haystack and Good Hope, Jamaica. He exhibits nationally and is the founder of Artstream Nomadic Gallery, co-founder of Harvey/Meadows Gallery, Aspen, Colorado, and co-founder of Studio for Arts and Works (SAW), Carbondale, Colorado. He serves on the board of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. His work was recently acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Huntington Museum of Art, WV, where he was honored with the Walter Gropius Master Award.

Ruth Snyderman has owned The Works Gallery in Philadelphia, PA since 1965. In 1983, she and her husband opened The Snyderman Gallery. In 2011, the galleries merged and are now known as the Snyderman-Works Galleries. Ruth has been a juror, a panelist, a speaker, and a curator. Speaking engagements have taken place from Ireland to Australia, as well as throughout the United States. Present Board affiliations are: The Painted Bride Art Center and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. Ruth has been a member of The Clay Studio Board and Events Committee. Previously, Ruth was also a board member of Collab and President of the Collectors Group of Philadelphia, a glass group. Ruth also serves as the Treasurer of the Old City Arts Association.

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show Tagged With: ,
« Older Posts