women’s committee

You know you want to…

March 4, 2013

You know you want to apply… don’t you? Need the last little push that will give you the kick to put your application form together and send it before April 1st? We’re pretty sure you’ll find it among our…

Top 5 reasons why you want to apply to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show!

Nick Leonoff, recipient, Cohn Family Trust Prize for Excellence in Glass with prize sponsor Suzanne Cohn (left) and her granddaughter (right).

1. 100% of the exhibiting artists have applied!
No back rule, no schmoozing, no favorites… If you want in, you have to tell us with an application form! Better yet, if you end up on our Best Of list, like Lisa Naples in 2012, not only you will receive a pretty purple ribbon, but you will also be granted an invitation for next year’s show! But, then again, the artists who end up on that list have started with… applying!

2. It’s as easy as A.B.C.!
A. Fill the form here.
B. Add 5 images for consideration by the jury
C. Pay your $50 application fee

Oh, ok, there’s a D… Give yourself a good pat on the back for taking the step that might change your career!

For more details on how and when to apply, check out our website. All the information is there.

3. Put your hands up for our audience
Our visitors, we love them. They’re fantastic. They’re educated, curious about craft, enjoying the show not only for the show, but also for the opportunities to interact with the artists, hear about their work, about their inspiration… And they have a soft spot for shopping… You know you want to meet them too… Well, there’s only one thing left to do!

4. The cream of the crop
The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show ranks among the finest craft shows in the United States, we even tend to think we’re the finest of them all. And since you’re worth the best, we offer you the best.

5. Have you heard of our infamous “Exhibitor Lounge”?
Wait until you’re juried in… You’ll never want to miss a Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show ever again… Our committee members are world famous (we’ve had a number of guest foreign countries over the past 10+ years) for their sense of hospitality and their incurable tendency to spoil the artists…

There’s only one thing left for you to do…

Bidding goodbye and still bidding!

November 11, 2012

As we are opening the doors to the final day of the 2012 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, it’s always with a bittersweet taste in our mouths as we go up and down the aisles of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show in numbers:

36 years of hosting wonderful artists
195 American artists on the show flow
26 British and Irish guest artists
13 craft & design categories
18,000 visitors
Millions of dollars raised over the years to purchase works of art and craft for the permanent collections, support education programs, and contribute to conservation and publication projects.

Wood box by Ray Jones — Asheville, NC

So today, we’re bidding goodbye but we also encourage you to keep on bidding on our online auction that will be open until Tuesday November 13th at 9:00 p.m.

This is the 7th year for our on-line auction. Of the 42 or more extraordinary items to be auctioned, many one-of-a-kind objects have been donated by artists participating in the 2012 Show. In addition to which a number of vintage items, created by artists participating in past Craft Shows, have been donated by members of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show committee.

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show Tagged With: 2012 Craft Show, british, craft artists, craft show, great britain, international craft artists, philadelphia museum of art, PMA Craft Show, women's committee, wood

The Art of Buying Crafts: Genvieve Goldstein

October 23, 2012

We’re gathering tips for shopping at the show and collecting crafts from Genvieve Goldstein. Genvieve is co-chair of the Young Patrons (40 & under) of the Craft Show Committee, and first became involved with the event as a volunteer. Among her collection of fine crafts, one can find hats, semi-precious jewelry, ceramics and wearable fiber.

How did you become involved with the Craft Show?

Describing her first volunteer experience booth sitting for artists on their lunch break, Genvieve said, “I learned how much work and talent went into each one of these crafts and just fell in love with this whole experience of being able to talk face-to-face with the artists there.

What advice would you give to someone considering going to the Craft Show?

“There is certainly something there for everyone. It’s important not to have any kind of preconceived notion of what you are going to see.

The crafts are all museum quality… and there is a jury of five experts in the field of contemporary craft who decide who gets to show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.

Tell us a bit about your collection. Is there a piece that is particularly sentimental for you?

“I love them all! I get a lot of joy out of purchasing and taking something home an object that was handcrafted and made by artisans.

My mother actually bought me a ring [by Kristin Lora] and it’s a car, and there is a little figurine of a woman inside the car, driving. The headlights and taillights are stones. It definitely starts a lot of conversations.

And I have a number of hats, and one I’m particularly fond of is a straw top hat from Ignatius Hats… a lot of fun to wear in the summer.”

“There was an artist at the 2011 Show, Paveen “Beer” Chunhaswasdikul, who does these whimsical ceramics… he had the most wonderful way of talking about his work. He was just so in love with his work and excited about it that it was hard not to get excited with him… the mug I ended up getting looks like a grenade – each piece is different – and you pull out the pin of the grenade if you want to microwave it or put it in the dishwasher… Each one had it’s own quirky aspect.

The ability to have a conversation with the artist who made the piece is one of the unique aspects of purchasing an item at the Craft Show.

“Yes, and the fact that there is an international component… you rarely get to meet the artists who make some of these crafts. But at the Craft Show, you get to meet artists from a different country and purchase a piece of theirs to take home or give as a gift to someone… it’s really amazing.”

What advice do you have about selecting a contemporary craft piece to purchase?

“Go with your gut feeling and your heart and buy what makes you happy and smile. That’s what I do when I go – I don’t go looking for anything in particular. You have to find something that draws you to it, something that you want as part of your collection that you go to year after year. There are items that are affordable – what I buy generally ranges from $50-$200.

The things I collect are something more [than just the object] – it’s something I like to share with other people, or let them borrow, or simply enjoy just looking at – I have a hat that hangs on my wall all year round because I just love seeing it.”

Each year there are new craft artists who participate, and some who return. For a preview of artists participating this year, visit our Flickr account. Come to the 2012 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and get inspired!

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show, Craft Artists, Fashion, Home & Design Tagged With: 2012 Craft Show, craft, craft artists, craft show, Genvieve Goldstein, international craft artists, philadelphia museum of art, PMA Craft Show, women's committee

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

June 19, 2012

Instructor Eiko Fan with one of her students’ sculptures, titled: together we reach for the stars.

Form in Art is a yearlong Museum course for legally blind adults that combines the study of art history with studio art classes. About twenty percent of people who are legally blind can see nothing at all; the rest have some residual vision, which varies greatly from person to person.

Dedicated volunteers assist in each Form in Art class in a variety of ways. Visual descriptions and Touch Tours by specially trained Museum Guides introduce students to select objects in the galleries. Curators and conservators present historical information and discuss their role in the Museum. In the studio classes, artist-instructors expose the students to a wide variety of materials and techniques, and assist and encourage the students’ self-expression.

The Museum celebrated the 40th Annual Exhibition on May 18, 2012. The students’ artwork is on view at the museum now until July 29.

This year’s annual exhibition of students’ work.

The Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art was instrumental in founding Form in Art in 1971 and has generously supported it every year since. The Form in Art summer workshop is supported by the Betty Harbison Memorial Fund. Additional support for Philadelphia Museum of Art Accessible Programs for individuals with disabilities is provided by Morton Charlestein, the Joseph Kennard Skilling Foundation, and the Boscia Family Foundation.

Filed Under: A Craft Affair Tagged With: arts and crafts movement, craft, education, events, women's committee

“Craft Spoken Here” Cocktail Reception

June 12, 2012

Doug Bucci, Elisabeth Agro, Jessica Jane Julius and Bennett Bean

On Friday, May 11th, approximately 250 attendees gathered at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Perelman building to admire the works of contemporary craft featured in the “Craft Spoken Here” exhibit and mingle over drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Jessie Hemmons, Yarnbomber

The Craft Show Committee and the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art partnered to organize the cocktail reception. Among the notable attendees were contemporary craft artists Doug Bucci, Jessica Jane Julius, and Bennett Bean, all three of whom have works in the exhibit. Jessie Hemmons, who knitted approximately 350 skeins of yarn into brightly colorful swags and blankets and “yarn bombed” the front of the Perelman Building as part of the exhibit, also attended.

Timothy Rub, Elisabeth Agro, Lisa Woolbert (right to left)

Short remarks were given about the exhibition and the event. Timothy Rub, Director and Chief Executive of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, praised the spectacular work of Elisabeth Agro, The Nancy M. McNeil Associate Curator of American Modern and Contemporary Crafts and Decorative Arts, who curated the exhibit. Elisabeth Agro described the creative process, collaborative approach and support for innovation that enabled the exhibit to be planned and executed in less than a year. Finally, Lisa Woolbert, Chair of the 2012 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, graciously thanked those who were in attendance and invited everyone to the 2012 Craft Show, which will be held at the Convention Center in November.

The “Craft Spoken Here” exhibit itself showcases 40 contemporary works of craft in ceramic, glass, metal, wood, lacquer, paper, and fiber, dating from 1960 to the present. Located in the Exhibition Gallery of the Perelman Building, the exhibit is open until August 12, 2012.

The exhibition is made possible by The Leonard and Norma Klorfine Foundation Fund for Modern and Contemporary Craft. Additional support is provided by the Windgate Charitable Foundation and the Center for American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In-kind support is provided courtesy of Lion Brand Yarn, A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts, Inc., and Calico Corners.

Filed Under: 2012 Craft Show, A Craft Affair, Craft Artists Tagged With: 2012 Craft Show, arts and crafts movement, Bennett Bean, craft, craft spoken here, Doug Bucci, Elisabeth Agro, Jessica Jane Julius, Jessie Hemmons, philadelphia museum of art, women's committee, yarn bombing, young friends