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FULL RELEASE
From
Thursday, November 8 through Sunday, November 11, 2001, The Women's
Committee and Craft Show Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
present the 25th annual Craft Show. This premier exhibition and sale
of contemporary craft, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in
Philadelphia, includes 195 of the finest and most adventurous craft
artists in the United States, selected from more than 1500 applicants.
In addition, 18 craft artists from Japan will display their work, adding
- for the first time in the history of the Craft Show - a fresh international
dimension to the annual exhibition.
The 12 categories of works exhibited in
this year's show embrace a striking variety of forms and functions.
Wood crafts range from intricately designed reliquaries to ironwood
and coconut shell ladles. Unusual materials such as coiled sea grasses
and recycled copper wire are woven into baskets on display. Fiber wearables
reflect a myriad of styles, among them the contour couture of topographical
map dresses. Other lively sections are glass, jewelry, metal, paper,
leather, furniture, clay, mixed media, and fiber-decorative works.
This year, the artists selected represent
some 35 states across the nation. Many of them, including Charleston,
South Carolina-based Mary Jackson whose baskets have been on view in
the White House, are renowned in the craft world and are represented
in major public and private collections. Forty exhibitors are
new to the show, including John Rais of Layton, New Jersey, who will
display his forged steel tables and Frances Smersh of Seattle, Washington,
who will exhibit her sterling silver and fresh water pearl necklaces.
Artists based in the Philadelphia area include ceramist George Johnson
and furniture-maker Jack Larimore, both of whom are represented in the
Philadelphia Museum of Art's craft collection.
Five craft experts served as jurors, including
Helen Drutt English, Founder/Director, Helen Drutt: Philadelphia, Philadelphia,
PA; Holly Hotchner, Director, American Craft Museum, New York, NY; Nancy
Yaw, Director, Yaw Gallery, Birmingham, MI; Stuart J. Kestenbaum, Executive
Director, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME; and Darrel
Sewell, the Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Curator of American Art, Philadelphia
Museum of Art.
"I was looking for work filled with
vitality‹work that stands out and grabs its viewer," commented
Mr. Kestenbaum following the selection process, adding that he was especially
impressed with the "sense of discovery" found in many of the
works.The work of the 18 artists from Japan represents an intriguing
cross-section of the country's contemporary crafts scene. The rich variety
ranges from stainless steel jewelry to vessels painted with Urushi,
the traditional vegetable lacquer applied to wooden objects in Asia
for centuries. Many of the artists are well known in Japan and have
exhibited internationally.
Sleight of Hand, The Artist's Magic Wand,
is the annual theme installation planned for this year's show that is
devoted to the idea of the artist's hand and sponsored by the Philadelphia
Hand Center. "We are thrilled about this show-within-the-show,"
said Elissa Topol, Chair of the 2001 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft
Show and an avid collector herself. "The artists are invited to
submit a work inspired by the theme for inclusion in this installation.
Our initial impressions are that it's shaping up beautifully, not least
because hands are such an integral part of the arts. In many ways, we
expect that Sleight of Hand will capture the very essence of craft making."
Living with Crafts, another annual display
within the Craft Show, will feature several uniquely furnished rooms
composed entirely of works selected from among the artists' booths.
The installation is expected to underscore in surprising ways the exciting
role that hand crafted objects can play in daily life. "Crafts
are works of art that you truly live with and use," explained Judy
Pote, President of The Women's Committee of the Philadelphia Museum
of Art. "It's wonderful to be able to enjoy the tremendous variety
of the craft exhibition and to take something home and live with it,
and to know that while you are enjoying it, you are also supporting
a worthy cause."
The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show
is presented annually by The Women's Committee and Craft Show Committee
for the benefit of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Committees' largest
single fundraising event for the Museum, the exhibition and sale drew
some 25,000 visitors to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia
over a period of five days last year. Funds raised are used to purchase
works of art and craft for the permanent collections of the Philadelphia
Museum of Art, to contribute to conservation and publication projects,
and to support exhibitions and education programs.
Show dates and hours are: Thursday, November
8th and Friday, November 9th, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, November 10th,
10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, November 11th, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission
is $10.00 for adults (two-day passes are $15.00) and $3.00 for children
under 12; tickets may be purchased at the door, or in advance by calling
the Craft Show office at (215) 684-7930. Group admission can be
arranged for 10 or more, also by calling the Craft Show office. The
Pennsylvania Convention Center, the site of the Craft Show, is located
at 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia. The Preview Party (tickets
are $150 each) will be held on Wednesday, November 7th, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.;
call (215) 684-7930 for tickets.
The 25th annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show is organized
and coordinated by Elissa Topol, Chair; Katharine Padulo, Vice-Chair;
and Nancy C. O'Meara, Show Manager. For more information, visit
the show's website at http://www.philamuseum.org/pmacraft/.
The Philadelphia
Museum of Art, which celebrates its 125th anniversary in the year 2001,
is among the largest art museums in the United States, showcasing more
than 2,000 years of exceptional human creativity in masterpieces of
painting, sculpture, works on paper, decorative arts and architectural
settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The striking neoclassical
building, housing more than 200 galleries and standing on a nine-acre
site above the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is an oasis of beauty and
enriching activities-including programs for children and families, lectures,
concerts and films.
For additional information, contact the Marketing and Public Relations
Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215) 684-7860. The
Philadelphia Museum of Art is located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
at 26th Street. For general information, call (215) 763-8100, or visit
the Museum's website at www.philamuseum.org.
Slides available upon request.
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