Vermont’s modern craft movement has evolved from the days when artisans sold their wares from wobbly card tables at makeshift craft fairs. Today crafts are sold from artisan’s studios, at craft cooperatives and at juried fairs, by artists keenly aware of the importance of marketing and advertising.
The word craft connotes a profession or trade that requires skill and artistic talent. We make a distinction between objects that are made by hand and something made on an industrial scale in a factory. Picture a generic glass pitcher purchased at Ikea versus a hand-turned porcelain one made on a potters wheel and glazed in a small studio.
But getting someone to part with hard-earned cash for a more expensive version of a household or decorative object means craftspeople have to be more than just artists. *Artisans have to be creative about marketing their work and must pay attention to changing public demand and tastes.
The State of Craft exhibit at the Bennington Museum looks at the history of Vermont handicraft and how it’s evolved over the years, and today we’re going to do the same. Martha Fitch is Executive Director of the Vermont Crafts Council. Anne Majusiak is Curator for the State Of Craft Exhibit.
They spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the modern crafts movement today and how craftspeople blend savvy business acumen with artistic talent.