Craft in America

Craft in America, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Carol Sauvion in 2003, and based in Los Angeles, California. Its mission is to document and advance contemporary American craft and traditional craft practices through educational programs in all media. It is dedicated to fostering an appreciation of handmade craft, the makers committed to its practice, and the contribution craft makes to our national cultural heritage.[1]

Craft in America
Formation2003
FoundersCarol Sauvion
TypeNon-profit organization
PurposeEducation
Location
  • Los Angeles, California
Region served
United States
Websitehttp://www.craftinamerica.org

Television series
Carol Sauvion and the crew of Craft in America at the 67th Annual Peabody Awards

In 2005, with grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the support of private donors, filming began for three one-hour television documentaries on American craft.[2] Craft in America, the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning[3] PBS television documentary series of the same name premiered in 2007. Now in its thirteenth year, the twenty second and twenty third episodes air December 27, 2019.[4]

Each episode takes viewers inside the homes and studios of skilled makers, who speak of the creative process—in their own words—as finely crafted works emerge from their hands. Thus far, over two hundred artists have been filmed including MacArthur Fellows beadworker Joyce J. Scott,[5] woodworker Sam Maloof,[6] and blacksmith Tom Joyce.[7] Other artists include birch bark basket maker Dona Look,[8] and Mira Nakashima,[9] daughter of furniture maker George Nakashima. Additionally, episodes have highlighted numerous schools and craft institutions committed to advancing and preserving American crafts such as Pilchuck Glass School, Pewabic Pottery, Penland School of Crafts, North Bennet Street School and The Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum. The series is notable for its diversity of native and multi-cultural craft artists as well as more widely recognized practitioners.[10]

The episodes "Borders" and "Neighbors", cross the southern boundary of the United States for the first time to focus on our shared history and influence upon each other. This was an outcome of Craft in America's participation in Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA,[11] the Getty's ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with the city of Los Angeles, California. Producer/Director Carol Sauvion describes these episodes as carrying a message about international relations, and cross-cultural exchanges that affirms – that there are no borders in art.[12]

"Borders" takes viewers across the Mexico border, and back again, to explore the connections and influences between Mexican and American craft artists. It visits Mexican master altar maker Ofelia Esparza, the Mexican celebration Day of the Dead, American artist Kiff Slemmons and many others artists forging unique and ongoing cultural exchanges.[13]

"Neighbors" brings viewers across the southern border of the United States to meet Mexican ceramic artists Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, Magdalena Pedro Martínez, and the work of American silver designer William Spratling. It explores the cross-fertilization between Mexican craft artists and their neighboring American craft artists such as muralist Judy Baca and Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice, California.[14]

Episodes
Episode name
(w/ link to video)		First PBS air dateFeatured artists, specialties, and locationsComments
MemoryMay 30, 2007
LandscapeMay 30, 2007
CommunityMay 30, 2007
OriginsOctober 7, 2009
ProcessOctober 7, 2009
MessagesMay 24, 2011
FamilyOctober 17, 2011
ThreadsMay 11, 2012
CrossroadsNovember 16, 2012
ForgeOctober 25, 2013
  • Silversmiths at Old Newbury Crafters: Chloe Darke, Geoffrey Blake
  • Artists/sculptors: Tom Pullin, Jeremiah Holland, Davide Prete, Albert Paley
HolidayDecember 20, 2013
  • Woodcarver: Harley Refsal
  • Ceramics: Susan Garson, Veronica Castillo
  • Chicano culture: Isabel and Enrique Sánchez, Kathleen Trenchard
  • Glass: Garcia Art Glass
  • Locations and competitions: John C. Campbell Folk School, Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House Competition, Biltmore House
IndustryMay 2, 2014
  • Quilters: Lucy Mingo, Mary Ann Pettway, Gee's Bend Quilters Collective, Joe Cunningham
  • Boat builder at Lowell's Boat Shop: Graham McKay
  • Textile arts at The Oriole Mill and Sew Co.: Bethanne Knudson, Libby O’Bryan
  • Jewelry artist: Shane Yamane
  • Online marketplace: Etsy
ServiceNovember 2, 2014
CelebrationDecember 11, 2015
  • Ceramics: Pewabic Pottery, Motawi Tileworks
  • Kwanza celebrations: Babatunde Graves
  • Woodblock prints: Yoshiko Yamamoto
  • Chinese New Year lion dancers, artists, float builders: Corey Chan, Jeff Lee, Thomas Chun, Travis Lum, Jared Young, Yumei Hou, East West Floats
MusicNovember 20, 2015
TeachersSeptember 15, 2016
NatureApril 21, 2017
BordersSeptember 29, 2017
  • Día de los Muertos altarista: Ofelia Esparza
  • Fiber artists: J. Isaac Vásquez García, Jim Bassler
  • Ceramic artist: Veralee Bassler
  • Taller Arte Papel (Art Paper Workshop in Mexico): Francisco Toledo, Kiff Slemmons
  • Museo Textil de Oaxaca: Alejandro de Ávila Blomberg
  • Community arts center: Self Help Graphics & Art
NeighborsSeptember 29, 2017
CaliforniaDecember 21, 2018
  • Corine Pearce (Pomo basket weaver)
  • Randy Stromsoe (silversmith)
  • Greene and Greene (architecture firm, designer of The Gamble House)
  • Judson Studios (glass)
  • Jack Ipekjian (cabinet maker)
  • James Ipekjian (cabinet maker)
  • Deborah Cross (textile artist)
VisionariesDecember 21, 2018

Additional projects

Additional projects include establishment of the Craft in America Study Center in Los Angeles, California [15] to extend the reach of the documentary series by hosting artist talks, curating exhibitions, authoring books, maintaining an archival library of books, magazines, DVDs and video footage on craft, and an extensive website with further information on artists and craft organizations nationwide. Education Guides are linked to each episode for use in classrooms.,[16][17][18] And, various other resources to further knowledge of crafts, and inspire viewers, artists, researchers and others.

Publications
  • Lauria, Jo; Fenton, Steve (2007). Craft in America : celebrating two centuries of artists and objects : [... companion to the Craft in America PBS television series and to the traveling museum exhibition of the same name] (1st ed.). New York: Clarkson Potter. ISBN 978-0307346476.
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References
  1. "Craft in America: Mission Statement". Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  2. Balzar, John (April 15, 2005). "America's story crafted in passion" (Style & Culture). LA Times. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. "Peabody Award". Peabody Award. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  4. "Craft in America: Episodes". PBS.org. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. "MacArthur Fellow: Joyce J. Scott". MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. "MacArthur Fellow: Sam Maloof". MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. "MacArthur Fellow: Tom Joyce". MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  8. "Dona Look". Craft in America. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  9. "Mira Nakashima". Craft in America. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  10. Lovelace, Joyce. "The Journey So Far". American Craft Magazine (April/May 2014).
  11. "LA/LA: A Celebration Beyond Borders". PacificStandardTime.org. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  12. "Borders and Neighbors". Craft in America. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  13. "Episode: Borders". PBS.org. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  14. "Episode: Neighbors". PBS.org. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  15. "Craft in America Study Center". Craft in America.org. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  16. "Education Guides". PBS.org: Craft in America. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  17. "Craft in America Center". Ceramics Monthly. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  18. Lauria, Jo. Craft in America: Celebrating Two Centuries of Artists and Objects (2007 ed.). Clarkson Potter. ISBN 0307346471.
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