D.C. Symposium, 40 Under 40 and Glenn Adamson

In early November, I attended the Symposium on Contemporary Craft held at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington D.C. A bunch of us from the Ceramics department went on the trip and it was a special opportunity for us. We went to several galleries and saw some amazing shows, including “40 under 40”. This was our first stop and a great place to end a long day of travel. The show focused on young artists using craft as a medium. Works featured used techniques such as embroidery, knitting, quilting, clay, metalwork, etc. This show was a milestone marking how far craft has come to now being accepted in the fine arts world.

The Symposium we attended featured 2 days of talks given by artists, historians, and craftspeople. We were able to get a variety of different perspectives on the topic of craft and where it stands today. Glenn Adamson was the keynote speaker. He wrote such books as “Thinking Through Craft” and “The Invention of Craft”.  It was interesting; his talk was titled “Goodbye to Craft”. He’s been writing about craft and art for years now and he is finally taking a step back. In past years he felt he had to write about craft and the fight to get acceptance for it, but now, as he said, it’s “real in”. So many artists are employing the use of traditional craft materials and techniques, the proof is in the “40 Under 40” show. So, basically, he was saying we don’t have to fight any more, the battle has been won. This idea was challenged by some of the other speakers, but the basic theme held throughout. I found this to be extremely relevant to my Thesis work as I am combining embroidery, crochet, and sewing with the medium of clay, all formerly considered domestic crafts performed by women. Now, the world has opened up to these techniques, and they find new life in the work of artists who appropriate them and decontextualize them in amazing ways!