Name: Craft in America
Released: 2007-05-30T00:00:00.000Z

TV Show · Documentary · History

CRAFT IN AMERICA explores America’s creative spirit through the language and traditions of the handmade, taking viewers on a journey to the artists, origins and techniques of American craft. Each episode contains stories from diverse regions and cultures, blending history with living practice and exploring issues of identity, ritual, philosophy and creative expression.

2007 · 55m

EPISODE 1

Memory

Woodworker Sam Maloof, furniture maker Garry Knox Bennett, basket makers Mary Jackson and Pat Courtney Gold, and blacksmith Tom Joyce ensure that creating from nature with one’s hands does not become a thing of the past.
EPISODE 2

Landscape

Featuring craft artists Jan Yager, Kit Carson, David Gurney, Richard Notkin, George Nakashima and Mira Nakashima, whose art is both a reflection of and commentary on the environment in which they live.
EPISODE 3

Community

Groups give strength to craft artists and their work, as schools, religions, societies, or just friends bring together people to create. Featuring glass artists Jamex and Einar de la Torre, potter Sarah Jaeger, and more.
EPISODE 1

Origins

Craft traditions didn’t just appear--artists tie their work to early techniques and pass these practices on in a continuum of creativity. Featuring blacksmith Philip Simmons, beadwork artist Teri Greeves, weaver Jim Bassler, and more.
EPISODE 2

Process

What inspires a person to choose a career in craft? How does one acquire the knowledge and skills? Featuring 92nd Street Y, jewelers Roberta and Dave Williamson, ceramists Cary Esser and Nikki Lewis, printmaker Tom Killion, and more.
EPISODE 1

Messages

Many craft artists use craft to tell a story, prove a point, experiment, or bring attention to contemporary issues. MESSAGES features santero Charles M. Carrillo, glass artist Beth Lipman, bead artist Joyce J. Scott, and more.