Coming from a museum background, I have worked with both fine art and ethnographic collections, and realize that the process of making an object is a very real part of its value.  Ethnographic traditions and objects are at the heart of most museum collections, historical landmarks, and cultural archives.  These objects and their histories are primarily what would be considered craft, closely connected to the makers, often based on traditions, and a continuation of techniques passed on by many generations as a cultural legacy.

 

In considering the crossover of crafts and so-called fine arts, as proposed in our upcoming conference, Synergy II: Exploring Connections, I had an "aha" moment when attending a public forum in Portland, OR this month.  What makes work "craft"?  The conclusion I reached, based on the discussions, is that a strong connection to the maker defines craft, but the crossover comes in the need to market, educate, and contextualize those objects for a contemporary public and to increase the potential for new partnerships.

 
The Changing Dynamics of Craft and Design
The Museum of Contemporary Craft and Pacific NW College of Art in Portland, Oregon are in the process of an anticipated integration, as a unique and successful scenario of the crossover of crafts and fine arts.  The Pacific NW College of Art and the Oregon College of Applied Craft now also offer an MFA in Applied Craft & Design.  A recent public forum was presented, including panelists Andrew Wagner, the editor of American Craft Magazine, Namita Wiggers, curator of the museum, and professors of both fine arts and crafts.  The discussion was based on the role of craft, the shifting definitions of craft and design and their overlap, intercultural aspects of design/craft, and future trends and scenarios. Read more.

 

The divisions between crafts and design were questioned as being real or created, concluding that there are gray areas between, and that embracing the ambiguity offers exciting opportunities for crossover.  Communities are fluid, as seen in Etsy and ACC, and the internet is breaking down boundaries.  Definitions are utilized for context, but freedom exists in no boundaries, expanding opportunities, and should not be intimidating.  Intercultural aspects of design and craft make the process more vital, looking more broadly at applications and crossovers, ideas, increased access and wider ranges of materials. 

 

Design is perceived as abstract, craft more as production based, directly connected to makers.  The long view, as museums see collections, asks questions, and sees the merging and recognition of developments holistically reinforcing each other.  Identifying uniqueness and similarities creates an exciting tension, and leads to dialogues and outcomes.  Things made Imply action, and the resulting diversity is hard to categorize and reframe - like us!

 

There is a need to educate the public on the value of crafts for understanding and increased patronage.  Marketing should be focused on correcting the perception that craft is more of a commodity, and different from so-called fine art.  Contextualizing the object is key to marketing success, with an emphasis by the artist on marketing as well as making.  Audiences should see that design/art/craft are inter-connected.  It was concluded that there are no real divisions, and that craft is the root of the arts, as the act of making.

 

Dialogue continues to define partnerships, with the combined goals of being valued by expanded communities and externalizing craft by making it available to a broader public, sharing the "power" of making art.  The do-it-yourself phenomena was cited as bringing the energy of the artist "magician" to the public, along with the desire to make objects.  Increased skill levels and programming to break down barriers have resulted, bringing enhanced credibility and relevance in major industries of crafts and the innovation that comes from making.
 
Kathy Reynolds
Executive Director, IPCA

Registration Continues
Spaces are quickly filling for the 2009 IPCA Retreat and the discounted rate of $250 ends on May 8. Register now to join your friends at Indian Lakes Resort for 4 unforgettable days of laughter, learning, and a World of Inspiration.  Vendor spaces are also available for $100, or $50 and a product donation of $50. 

Full details about the Retreat, including Frequently Asked Questions are on the IPCA Web site.  Please remember that Registration does not include lodging. Please refer to the IPCA Web site for details.

 

 

Halstead Bead, Inc. Bridge Jewelry Design Business Development Grant  Deadline 6/17/2009.  Fees: none; prizes: $6,000 cash and merchandise grant

4th Biannual All Dolled Up: Beaded Art Doll Competition  Deadline 8/31/2009.  Fees: none; prizes: A first prize of a $1000.00 shopping spree on the Land of Odds web-site: www.landofodds.com, and a runner-up prize of a $400.00 shopping spree on the website. 

 
Enter the Bead Arts Awards - Fill in the online form here:
http://www.stepbystepbeads.com/contest/beadartsentry.cfm

 

Call for Entries
We would like to hear from artists who create with polymer clay,
either wearables like jewelry or non-wearables, and who would like
to have their work featured on either www.jewelryandbeading.com or
www.blisstree.com this spring.  Jewelry&Beading and Blisstree are
both network blogs with very large readerships.  Please send your
artist statement of one to three paragraphs, and up to three images
(72dpi res) of your work, along with a link to your site.  Please
put "polymer clay artist" in the subject line. Email: cyndi@b5Media.com.

Bead Stampede Seattle, WA 2009  May 1-3, 2009
Seattle, WA

Bead Jamboree Gem & Bead Show

Oklahoma City, OK  May 8-10, 2009

Gem Faire/Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, CA  May 8-10, 2009

Michigan Button Society Spring Show - Garden Party

Chesea, MI  May 8-9, 2009

PMC Certification Level 3: Advanced Metal Clay
Brookfield, WI  May 8-9, 2009 
 
The Down The Street Bead Show - Charleston
Mount Pleasant, SC  May 16-17, 2009

California State Button Society Show and Sale

Sacramento, CA  May 23-24, 2009

ACC San Francisco, CA  August 14-16, 2009

Polymer Clay Collaborative & Mixed Media Retreat:  First Annual Retreat June 1-6, Shepardstown, WV

 

Philadelphia, PA  August 1-3, 2009

 

Beginning Glass Beadmaking Class
Shingle Springs, CA  May 16-17, 2009