The Legend of the Music Tree
While browsing a Maine craft fair, I came across a guitar unlike any other. The guitar was hidden behind a display that included wooden bowls and cutting boards in the booth owned by woodworker David Smith. Smith, noticing my eager gaze, gently removed the instrument from its perch. He encouraged me to try it. I cradled the instrument […]
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Each Guitar Reuben Forsland Makes Tells a Story
Reuben Forsland, a master luthier, creates his magic in a one-room studio on a hilltop near the southwest coast of Vancouver Island. He is a storyteller. But the words he uses are not made of words. They’re made from wood and metal. Forsland builds custom acoustic instruments. The stories behind them and the collaborations he has with […]
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Traditionally Dyed Eggs Spring Into Action for Ukraine
For centuries, the colorful eggs – Pysanky — have brightened up spring in Ukraine. This traditional craft has been passed down through generations. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, many Ukrainians around the world feel that the elaborate eggs are even more important. According to Theresa Vargas of the Washington Post, people in the Ukrainian diaspora are using the […]
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The Blue That Enchanted the World
A long-forgotten piece of history is hidden on Johns Island, South Carolina. It’s located along Maybank Highway near the intersection of Pennys Creek and Stono River. A four-chambered structure is set among scrub brush, black gum trees, and live oaks. The colonial tint is still visible at its base. It’s partially covered with moss, bald cypress root, […]
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How Artisans in Puerto Rico Sustain Native Culture
After living in New York City for one year, I decided that it was time to return to Puerto Rico. I was growing increasingly concerned that the unique art and crafts of Puerto Rico, which are influenced by centuries of Caribbean and African influences as well as Spanish, American, and Spanish, might disappear. After my return, I […]
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See Inside One of America’s Last Pencil Factories
Saws that spin at 8,000 revolutions a minute produce a loud whine. As they fly through the paint box, pencils clack and clack. Then comes the ratcheting noise as aluminum ferrules, erasers, and other parts are punched on. A blast of air is used to clear the crevices in the machinery so that the conveyor belts move smoothly […]
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Artists Have Been Flocking to Scottsdale for Decades—Here’s Why You Should, Too
Scottsdale, surrounded by the vast Sonoran Desert and its sweeping views, has been a magnet to artists looking for inspiration and a place where they can hone their craft. The earth’s color palette is a kaleidoscope at sunset, and the red rocks are a monument to time. Scottsdale is more than just a city. It’s a canvas […]
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The ‘digital handmade’: how 3D printing became a new craft technology
Craft is often associated with wooden chairs, pottery, and other items that are lovingly made by hand. A plastic 3D-printed object? Not so fast. Berto Pandolfo’s work, which is featured in the new exhibit at Kensington Contemporary, Sydney, challenges this rule. His side tables show that digital fabrication technologies like 3D printing offer new possibilities to designers with a […]
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Turner Prize win must not restrict Assemble’s work to the zone of ‘art’
In order to help me make sense of Assemble’s Turner Prize victory, I revisited the lecture given by 2003 Turner Prize-winner Grayson Perry in Liverpool in 2013. Grayson Perry offers advice on how to determine the boundaries of contemporary artwork. They include: Is the work in a museum? A professional artist made it. The “themepark plus suduko test”: does […]
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Bake, sew, throw: why crafts make compelling television
The Great British Bake Off’s final episode was the most-watched British TV event of 2015. More than 13 million tuned in to watch Nadiya’s tear-jerking speech. She made headlines around the world. Bake Off is a kitsch and twee show, with the contestants surrounded by bunting in a marquee on the grounds of an upscale country house. But its […]
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