Craft in unexpected places

Within the shifting territories of craft practice, the handmade has become a relational form of contemporary activity that transforms our understanding of place through a hands-on, minds-on process of collective-making. The conceptual significance of craft is activated through a chance encounter with the handmade in daily life. During the article we aim to explore the confluence between crafting, social engagement, volunteering and the realms of education and creative practice that we have both experienced first hand. What will be revealed will be the voices of practitioners collectively exploring cloth’s potential as a metaphor for consciousness, carrier of narrative and catalyst for community empathy and cohesion. This will be informed by an enquiry into historical forms of communal crafting drawn from archival research at the Imperial War Museum London and Foundling Hospital Collection housed at the Foundling Museum in London and a primary case study of the workshop ‘Desconocida – Unknown – Ukjent’. We employ a method used in object-based research: a value system that can be applied to the consideration of cloth as an object of study – namely, the locational, iconographical, archival, aesthetic and transferral. Focusing particularly on the transferral and locational, we will examine the significance of the handmade gesture in particular artistic, political and social contexts. These visual and textual narratives will inform our perception of ‘Craft in unexpected places’ and bring visibility to a selection of craft interventions by making links between the wide-reaching possibilities for craft-based practices and their expressive potential within the social and political landscapes they inhabit

Sustaining Careers: A Study of the Status of U.S. Craft Artists

This report updates the 2004 study, "Voices From the Studio, National Craft Artist Research Project" The current survey results reported here complement focus groups and a literature review. The findings allow the CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund + Artists' Emergency Resources) board, staff, and other stakeholders to assess the needs of professional craft artists and inform decisions about CERF+'s programs and services. The inquiry will also enlighten the craft field and arts sector as a whole about the needs, challenges, and opportunities craft artists face as they work to sustain their careers.CERF+'s 2013 survey of 3,500 American craft artists sampled attitudes about craft trends, sales and income, insurance, emergency preparation and recovery, and plans for their legacy. Quantitative survey findings closely correspond with more nuanced, qualitative results of nine focus groups conducted by CERF+ nationwide in late 2012 and early 2013. Policy makers, funders, and service providers will find the summaries of both studies instructive

Craft-a-smile

Invitation for students to make holiday decorations for senior citizens living in Vernon Hall Nursing Home in Cambridg

Reflections on a craft design protocol

For some years I have been working on a design protocol of craft, which aims to unearth the working principles of one cultural area (contemporary craft) of production for the benefit of another (interaction design). The methodology that led to its formulation comprised my research as a doctoral student in Interaction Design, and made up the bulk of my thesis [22]. The protocol has recently been more fully explored for the craft community, with each tenet explored in more depth [24]; however, several important publications and conferences in the field have emerged since its initial formulation and if it is to have any relevance, the protocol needs to be revisited in light of them. These include Sennett’s The Craftsman [36], Risatti’s Theory of Craft [34], and Adamson’s Thinking Through Craft [1]. In addition conferences such as Neocraft [3], and collections of writings such as Extra/Ordinary [5], which includes Mazanti’s SuperObjects model of craft [28], have developed the field immensely. This paper critically reflects on the protocol in this new expanded context

Perfecting Their Craft

A look at five faculty whose interests, both within and outside their professions, make them better teachers

Flight craft Patent

Designing spacecraft for flight into space, atmospheric reentry, and landing at selected site

Can Niche Agriculturalists Take Notes from the Craft Beer Industry?

This industry-level case study focuses on the growth cycles of craft brewing, a niche industry. The research case is defined as the craft beer industry evolution including the surrounding institutional and consumer environments. The research goal is to provide insight for niche agriculturalists by examining the case of the successful niche craft beer industry. First, the environment surrounding craft beer reemergence is analyzed. We examine the current state of the craft beer industry with a focus on competitive and logistical forces. We then highlight critical success factors of the craft beer industry and suggests how these factors can be applied to niche agriculture. Conclusions regarding the craft beer industry are drawn from both published documents and craft beer industry discussions. The primary craft beer industry “success†factors deemed transferable to niche agriculture include: 1) indentifying a consumer-driven niche opportunity; 2) engaging in marketing strategies leveraging consumer “hobby consumption†within the niche; 3) leveraging established industry logistics; and 4) participating in unified advocacy regarding both marketing and regulatory lobbies.Agribusiness, Marketing,