Cultures of Making Exhibitions
Exhibition spaces throughout Philadelphia present the most honored and innovative artists working today in wood, clay, fiber, metal, and glass. For five years, CraftNOW has highlighted exhibits and events to correspond with the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show in November showcasing Philadelphia as a destination for craft and making.
In 2020, the exhibition venues listed here have been in varying stages of scheduling due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Click below to discover how CraftNOW partners are continuing to adapt and remain dedicated to their programming.
*An asterick indicates updated exhibition listed below.
Top image courtesy of Stacey Lee Webber
*Artspace 1241
Our Say in Clay
*Bertrand Productions
No Fair
*The Center for Art in Wood
allTURNatives
Center for Emerging Visual Artists
Cherry Street Pier
*The Clay Studio
Lisa Naples: Using the Sun to Find North
*Fabric Workshop + Museum
Samara Golden: Upstairs at Steve’s
*Fleisher/Ollman
Touching from a Distance
The Galleries at Moore
*Gravers Lane Gallery
Doug Herren: Chroma Structure
*Gross McCleaf Gallery
Emily Richardson’s This Moment: New Fiber Works
*InLiquid
Time Unbound
National Liberty Museum
*Paradigm Gallery
Seth Clark and The Jaunt Chicago
*Pentimenti Gallery
John Preus: On Patriotism and Oikophobia
Philadelphia Dumpster Divers at the Community Education Center
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
Mosaic Visionary Art of Isaiah Zagar
*PHL Airport
Taro Yaguchi, Kambel Smith, Hope Hummingbird, Natalie Flor Negron, and Ambrella
*University of the Arts
Innovation in Fiber Art with Tsinghua University, Beijing
Wayne Art Center
Wexler Gallery
Wharton Esherick Museum
Exhibition History
2019 Craft Capital
In 2019, CraftNOW adopted the theme Craft Capital for its fifth year of programming with the definition of “capital” interpreted broadly for its relation to place, economics, resources, and prominence. This theme synchronized with CraftNOW’s programming for the American Craft Council conference Present Tense hosted in Philadelphia and the debut of our second publication Craft Capital: Philadelphia’s Cultures of Making edited by Glenn Adamson.
2018 Making a Difference
In 2018, CraftNOW presented Making a Difference, a series of thematic programming for visitors to use as a lens for exploring how craft promotes positive change, social cohesion and meaningful dialogue.
2017 Fluid Boundaries
From November 1 to 12, CraftNOW invited participants to explore the art of the handmade and the Fluid Boundaries of contemporary craft practices with a two-week event series offering public exhibitions, lectures, interactive activities and special events throughout Philadelhia, most free to the general public.
2016 Analog/Digital
“Analog-Digital” was a multi-venue, concurrent series of exhibitions branded as part of CraftNOW. The thematic approach to the series encouraged visitors to explore intersections between craft and technology and to discover how craft continues to evolve in the twenty-first century. These exhibitions were open in the days and weeks surrounding the PMA Craft Show and were promoted by CraftNOW as complementing opportunities for residents and visitors to see high quality craft exhibitions throughout the City.
2015 Masters of Craft
During CraftNOW’s inaugural year in 2015, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Center for Art in Wood and The Clay Studio honored 14 American Craft Council Fellows from Philadelphia who have had an enduring national impact through their works in wood, clay, fiber, metal, and glass.
Masters of Craft: American Craft Council Fellows in Philadelphia is documented, in its entirety, with a 160-page publication, including essays, artist profiles, and a full-color catalog of the included works. To purchase your hard copy today, email your request to info@centerforartinwood.org. You can also view the catalog free of charge online at the link below.