Introduction

The Resurgence of Philadelphia Craft

by Sid Sachs, Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions at the University of the Arts from 1999–2024

For nearly three centuries, Philadelphia has stood at the center of craft production in America, its legacy rooted in a robust culture of skilled labor, artisanal excellence, and innovative design. From early furniture makers and silversmiths to textile producers and ceramicists, the city cultivated a deep respect for the handmade object. The importance of integrating artistic design into mass production was bolstered by Philadelphia’s rapid growth as the nation’s most diversified industrial center. It was the central theme of the 1876 Centennial Exposition and was chronicled in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s 2026 landmark exhibition Workshop of the World: Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia. The Centennial celebrated the infusion of decorative arts into manufacturing, a trend that would continue into the early twentieth century.

The city’s industrial prowess subsequently declined, with the onset of the Great Depression and the migration of manufacturing to the South and West. However, the seeds of rebirth of making craft-infused products emerged in the postwar era in a new form — as handmade objects — fueled by the growth of art schools, galleries, curators, and critics who increasingly recognized craft as a vital component of contemporary artistic discourse. By the late twentieth century, Philadelphia had become not only a historic hub but also a dynamic engine for the evolution of American craft. Fifty years ago, local individuals and institutions consciously banded together to ignite a remarkable resurgence—one whose impact continues to resonate today.

By 1974, civic leaders successfully thwarted large-scale highway plans that threatened to erase the character of South Street, preserving instead a fertile environment for artistic experimentation.¹ This decision allowed for the establishment of bohemian storefronts, galleries, and theaters that would become central to the city’s creative identity. Among the earliest anchors was Ruth Snyderman’s Works Gallery, which moved into the neighborhood in 1970. Two years later, her husband Rick joined Ruth to establish Snyderman Gallery, forming a partnership that would prove deeply influential in promoting studio craft for the next 52 years.

In 1972 the Wharton Esherick Museum opened, establishing his home and studio as an important site celebrating art in wood. In 1973, Richard Kagan opened his pioneering atelier, the first American gallery dedicated exclusively to studio furniture. His efforts helped elevate furniture from functional object to sculptural art form.² At the same time, individual artisans began transitioning into more ambitious nonprofit structures. Albert LeCoff founded the Amaranth Gallery and Workshop in nearby Glenside, creating a platform for experimental woodturning. His North American Turned Object Show, exhibited at Kagan and Works galleries, traveled to five national venues, bringing wider recognition to the medium. In 1986, LeCoff and David Ellsworth co-founded the American Association of Woodturners, while Albert and his twin brother Alan also established the nonprofit Wood Turning Center, further institutionalizing the field.³

Ceramics played an equally crucial role in Philadelphia’s craft renaissance. In 1967, Bucks County acquired the historic Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, originally founded by Henry Chapman Mercer. When the Tile Works was revived in 1974, graduates of the Philadelphia College of Art began producing Mercer’s original designs, reconnecting contemporary practice with historical tradition. That same year, five Moore College–affiliated ceramic artists — Ken Vavrek, Jill Bonovitz, Janice Merendino, Betty Parisano, and Kathy Regan — established a communal workspace on Orianna Street that they called The Clay Studio. To sustain operations, they expanded their membership, creating a collaborative model that emphasized shared resources and mutual support.

This cooperative spirit culminated in the founding of The Clay Studio in 1974. Over the following decades, the organization relocated multiple times within Old City before settling into the 2nd Street Art Building in 1990, where it became a cornerstone of Philadelphia’s ceramic community. Its exhibitions, residencies, and educational programs nurtured generations of artists and helped position the city as a national leader in ceramics.

A key figure in this emerging ecosystem was Helen Drutt. In the mid-1960s, she founded the Philadelphia Council of Professional Craftsmen (PCPC), providing a formal network for artists working outside traditional fine art hierarchies.⁴ Through a chance meeting with Reverend Richard M. Jones at a Marshall McLuhan lecture, Drutt was offered office space that enabled the potential organization’s first meeting. The first PCPC exhibition debuted at the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1967, marking a significant step toward institutional recognition.

Drutt’s curatorial vision extended into academia when George Culle invited her to develop the curriculum teaching one of the first American courses on the history of modern and contemporary craft at the Philadelphia College of Art in 1973. Her eventual transition into gallery ownership was both practical and visionary: Needing storage space after organizing exhibitions, she established her eponymous gallery in 1974, which quickly became a vital venue for contemporary craft.⁵ Simultaneously, academic galleries expanded their role. Under Dianne Perry Vanderlip, Moore College of Art & Design began presenting ambitious exhibitions that frequently included craft artists, helping bridge the gap between fine art and applied media.

Philadelphia’s 1976 Bicentennial celebration further amplified the visibility of craft through major museum initiatives and public programming. At the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), curator Darrell Sewell authored influential essays in the Three Centuries of American Art catalog, effectively codifying a local craft canon.⁶ Meanwhile at the invitation of Ralph Collier, Director of the Campbell Soup Museum, Drutt curated Soup Tureens: 1976, an exhibition that juxtaposed contemporary ceramic works with historical objects from the company’s collection, demonstrating the continuity and evolution of the medium.

Support structures for craft continued to expand in the 1970s and 1980s. Under the leadership of PMA director Evan Turner and interior designer Cynthia Drayton, the Inter-Society for Decorative Arts and Design—founded in 1970 as a Museum affinity group for contemporary design including craft—evolved into Collab. In 1977, the PMA launched the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, one of the first retail studio craft fairs of its kind. It quickly became a national model, attracting collectors, curators, and artists from across the country.

Parallel initiatives reinforced community engagement. Marion Boulton Stroud founded the Fabric Workshop and Museum in 1977, which brought printmaking and textile production into dialogue with contemporary art. By conversations with Drutt and PMA director Anne d’Harnoncourt, many early projects featured craft artists, further integrating disciplines.⁷

As rising rents in the mid-1980s displaced South Street’s artistic community, Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood emerged as a new center. Galleries, studios, and nonprofits clustered there, creating a dense cultural district. Drutt relocated her gallery multiple times, eventually opening a major space on 1724 Walnut Street in 1984. Around the same time, Robert Aibel founded Moderne Gallery, specializing in studio craft, while the Snydermans moved their gallery to Cherry Street. These developments solidified Old City as a hub for both contemporary and historical craft.

The 1990s brought further institutional validation. The PMA expanded its craft holdings, including significant works by Wharton Esherick, whose legacy became central to Philadelphia’s identity. Institutions such as the James A. Michener Art Museum incorporated permanent installations dedicated to artists like George Nakashima, highlighting the region’s rich furniture-making tradition.

Funding from organizations like The Pew Charitable Trusts provided crucial support through fellowships and exhibition initiatives. These programs energized the local scene, fostering new talent and encouraging ambitious projects. By the late 1990s, Philadelphia’s craft community was so vibrant that some began referring to the city as the “sixth borough” of New York City.

Entering the twenty-first century, broader cultural shifts reshaped the perception of craft. Influenced by theorists such as Peter Dormer, as well as critics like Janet Koplos, Glenn Adamson, and Jenni Sorkin, artists began embracing ornamentation, vernacular design, and cross-disciplinary approaches. Art critics, galleries, and museums began to acknowledge that craft was a subset of art, not a subordinate pursuit. In 2006 the Philadelphia Museum of Art hired Elisabeth Agro as the first Craft curator in a major museum in the United States.

New galleries and institutions reflected this expanded perspective. Wexler Gallery, founded by Lewis Wexler and Sherri Apter Wexler, introduced international artists and designers, while exhibitions at the Philadelphia Art Alliance brought global perspectives to local audiences. Major shows such as Poetics of Clay emphasized the international scope of ceramic practice.⁸

Academic institutions also played a critical role. The relocation of the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Elkins Park to Temple University’s main campus in Philadelphia in 2009 provided state-of-the-art facilities for glass, metals, and ceramics. That same year, the Institute of Contemporary Art presented Dirt on Delight: Impulses That Form Clay, a landmark exhibition that brought together historical and contemporary artists, blurring boundaries between craft, fine art, and design.

Collaborative initiatives continued to strengthen the community. In 2015, CraftNOW Philadelphia was launched, uniting major institutions—including the PMA, The Clay Studio, and the Center for Art in Wood—around a shared mission to promote craft. The organization’s public programs, publications, and support of partner organizations have further elevated Philadelphia’s profile on the national stage.

Individual artists also gained prominence during this period. Roberto Lugo, a Philadelphia native, emerged as a leading voice in contemporary ceramics, blending classical forms with hip-hop culture and social commentary. His rapid rise—from local exhibitions to major museum shows—reflects the city’s ongoing capacity to nurture innovative talent.

The 2020s have brought both challenges and opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted exhibitions and forced institutions to adapt, but it also underscored the enduring appeal of handmade objects in an increasingly digital world. Major developments, such as the opening of The Clay Studio’s new building in 2022 in South Kensington and expansions at the Woodmere Art Museum, signal continued growth.

Today, Philadelphia’s craft ecosystem is more interconnected and resilient than ever. From historic sites like the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works to contemporary spaces like the Crane Arts Building and the Village of Industry and Art in the former UArts building, the city offers a rich tapestry of opportunities for artists, scholars, and audiences alike. This dynamism reflects a broader cultural shift in which craft is recognized not merely as a category of objects but as a vital mode of thinking, making, and engaging with the world.

As Philadelphia celebrates this ongoing legacy, it is clear that its craft community remains a powerful force—rooted in history, yet continually evolving. The resurgence that began fifty years ago has matured into a sustained movement, one that continues to shape both local identity and national discourse.

Endnotes

1. Community leaders such as George Dukes, Alice Lipscomb, architect Denise Scott Brown and Robert Sugarman stopped city planner Ed Bacon’s plans for a South Street Expressway. In Scott Brown’s Urban Concepts monograph, she wrote, “One of the reasons they accepted us was that we had a concern in common. Bob Venturi, apart from being an architect, was a fruit merchant. He had inherited his father’s business on South Street.” Denise Scott Brown, Urban Concept: Rose and Fall of Community Architecture, St. Martins Press, 1990. ↩
2. Kagan had been Daniel Jackson’s furniture shop steward at PCA. During his gallery’s ten-year run, Kagan exhibited Wendell Castle (eight times from 1976 to 1982), Peter Michael Adam, Jon Brooks, John Cederquist, Igor Givotsky, Michael Hurwitz, Daniel Jackson, Bill Kaiser, Silas Kopf, Alan Lazarus, Steve Madson, Judy Kensley McKie, Jere Osgood, Timothy Philbrick, Konrad Richter, Karl Seemuller, Rich Tannen, Howard Werner, and Robert Worth, plus woodturners Bob Stocksdale and David Ellsworth. ↩
3. In 1986, the Wood Turning Center was founded as a nonprofit. In 2000, it opened a location at 5th and Vine Streets, increasing the visibility of its activities. In 2011, it moved to its permanent home at 141 N. 3rd Street and was renamed the Center for Art in Wood. ↩
4. The PCPC was established to differentiate their practices from earnest hobbyists and mere dilettantes. The membership included Yvonne Bobrowicz, William M. Daley, Ted Hallman, Daniel Jackson, Julia Jackson, Stanley Lechtzin, Nancy Merritt, George Pruitt III, Olaf Skoogfors, Rudi Staffel, Byron Temple, Louise Todd Cope, Petras Vaskys, Paula and Robert Winokur. As unpaid director of the group, Drutt produced twenty PCPC exhibits in seven years. ↩
5. The Helen Drutt Gallery officially opened on February 22, 1974. Its initial roster included Louise Atlas, Yvonne Bobrowicz, Amy Buckingham, Mark Burns, Dale Chihuly, Louise Todd Cope, Anne Currier, Dan Dailey, William Daley, Richard DeVore, David Gilhooly, Toni Goessler-Snyder, Erik Gronborg, Wayne Higby, Howard Kottler, Stanley Lechtzin, Anthony Lent, Marcia Lewis, Richard Marquis, Sigrid Meier, Eleanor Moty, Joyce Moty, Albert Paley, Pencil Brothers (Ken Cory & Les Lepere), Dawn Polis, Jacquelyn Rice, Olaf Skoogfors, Rudolf Staffel, Lizbeth Stewart, Paula Winokur, Robert Winokur, Petras Vaskys and J. Fred Woell. ↩
6. Sewell selected Daley, Hallman, Jackson, Lechtzin, Skoogfors, Staffel, Lizbeth Stewart, Louise Todd Cope, and Paula and Robert Winokur, while acknowledging his selections were heavily influenced by the Drutt Gallery stable from the Archives of American Art Interview with Darrell Sewell: “Certainly, I learned a lot about the contemporary artists from you.” (referring to Helen Drutt.) ↩
7. The Fabric Workshop started in 1977. From then to 1991 the following crafts artists participated in its artist-in-residence and visiting artists programs: Adela Akers, Harry Anderson, Jill Bonovitz, James Carpenter, Dale Chihuly, Louise Todd Cope, Tony Costanzo, Richard DeVore, Viola Frey, David Gilhooly, Andrea Gill, Dorothy Hafner, Diane Itter, Jun Kaneko, Eva Kwong, Phillip Maberry, Andrew Magdanz, Kirk Mangus, Graham Marks, John McQueen, James Melchert, Juanita Jimenez Mizuno, Mineo Mizuno, Michael Olszewski, Jacquie Rice, Annabeth Rosen, Warren Seelig, Rudolf Staffel, Stewart, Toshiko Takaezu, Lenore Tawney, Robert Turner, Yoshiko Wada, Philip Warner, Betty Woodman, and Claire Zeisler. ↩
8. Poetics of Clay: An International Perspective (September 14–November 11, 2001) curated by Helen W. Drutt English and Carole Price Shanis, director of the Art Alliance, was a 50-year survey of over 125 artists from 14 countries drawn from private and public collections. ↩