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Handmade visions
Artists' abilities to create beauty from different media will be on display at this year's American Craft Council Craft Show.
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 29, 2001
Necklace/pin by Judith Kaufman of West Hartford, Conn.
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This weekend, 250 contemporary craft artists are gathering in Sarasota for the 2001 American Craft Council Craft Show, the largest indoor display of its kind in Florida, featuring works in leather, clay, ceramics, jewelry, decorative fiber, metal, wood, glass and wearable art.
The rising use of mixed media adds a new realm to contemporary crafts.
"Artists really push what the mediums can do," says show director JoAnn Brown. "They have reached a new level of sophistication and skill. The way the materials are used alters the works, sometimes making them more decorative or redefining the ways in which the works themselves function."
Participating artists agree. Sharon Rose, a fiber artist in Tampa who is preparing for her third American Craft Council event, has noticed a trend among craft patrons.
"As we become more computerized, I think people appreciate the time and quality of handmade works. These things come from somebody else's mind. Anyone who buys a work is taking home a vision made tangible by the human hand."
Sculptural ceramics artist Robin MacKay of Sarasota says technology has changed how artwork is produced.
"I think that our techniques are changing because we can do so much now. It's easier to incorporate ideas into materials. In this respect, I think the craft vs. art debate becomes a bit foolish. Both categories now have so many things that are exactly the same, particularly as modes of expression and for holding high standards of quality."
James Cameron Spiroff’s Cosmic Tea for Two is among items at the American Craft council craft show in Sarasota.
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A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting crafts, the American Craft Council hosts 11 annual craft shows across the nation and publishes a bimonthly magazine. To participate in a council show, artists must submit slides of their works to a committee of peers specializing in the same medium.
Brown has some advice for first-time show attendees:
"If you don't have a specific reason, or item in mind, when you go to the show, look around at everything there. Stop at any booth that you find interesting. Take time to talk to the artist and learn more about the works and the medium. This will allow you not only to learn more about art but to also learn about yourself, what appeals to you and why."
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PREVIEW: The 2001 American Craft Council Craft Show Sarasota, Robarts Arena, 3000 block of Fruitville Road, Sarasota. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Admission: $6 adults (2-day passes $10), children under 12 and ACC members free. From I-75 take exit 30 (Fruitville Road), travel west 3.9 miles to the arena. Call (941) 365-0559
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