-Gabriel

Fortunately, a lot of this came out at the vendor meeting that Sunday. Andrew Glasgow, the new director of the Craft Council, was simply awesome. He is so supportive of the new wave in crafting, and did a great job answering the old guard’s concern about the new folks. I’m so pleased that the Craft Council is welcoming the new alt craft world into their folds, and it was really heartwarming to hear some of the more established artists say how excited they were to see the new people in.

Of course, there are still grumpy people out there. But a lot of it is simply born out of poor communication. Most of the artists I talked to there had never even heard of etsy, or Renegade, or any of the other major indie shows. I think the old guard in crafting will be more understanding and accepting of the new alt craft the more they know about it, and the best way to let them know about it is just like this, with blogs and articles, and conversations.

However- I keep wondering why I am Not allowed to be a member of the local chapter of Craft Mafia? Is it because I do have a MFA? Am I too weird? Is it because I have a book and am too mainstream? I try to throw money at them for being a part of their vending shows and such- and well- I just get rejected for the Crafty world??!!??

WHERE does it all come from?

Hummm…

I’m sorry you had such a bummer of a time and I’m particularly sorry that it was our presentation that bummed you out so much! In defense of Bruce, I do want to say that I really believe that he admires the “alt-craft” world and if his talk came across as patronizing or belittling it was unintentional - I truly believe that. I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to forward your post on to him so that he can take a look and perhaps even respond.

I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed the Bad Brains clip that I showed and even posted it here! It still gives me chills every time I hear this song or see this video. You know, it is funny because I was talking with our creative director, Jeanette Abbink, here about the conference and our talk and I was explaining to her how I had tied in punk rock to the DIY movement and saying that you don’t listen to Bad Brains for their musicianship (or skill) and she stopped me and said, “but you very easily could - they are GREAT musicians.” And you know she is absolutely correct but they are not great musicians in the sense that maybe Yo Yo Ma is considered a great musican or Kronos Quartet are. But they are great musicians in perhaps an even better way, which is their music is not all about their musicianship which I think is another great point. They were able to communicate to vast amounts of people because they didn’t demand that those partaking in it were musicians themselves to enjoy it.

And I think that is another interesting analogy to alt-craft right there. While there are many talented and trained makers in the alt-craft scene, that training and talent is not what is first and foremost in much of the work. Rather, what is first and foremost is this level of communication that invites a viewer to experience the object on their own terms - there are no demands that you MUST like this object because the maker went to school here and studied with this and that person etc. etc.. And that is the beauty - this work is really putting the power in the hands of the people experiencing it as corny as that may sound - I know. Alt-craft and punk rock, in my mind, are both wonderfully populist (for the most part) and that is such a great thing!

So, thanks to Jeanette (our creative director) for reminding me that Bad Brains are not simply, loud, raw, emotional, fast, and furious but also extremely talented and thanks Annie for pointing out the same here about the alt-craft scene. I leave you all with one more thing…since it is nearly impossible to understand any of the words that H.R. (Bad Brains’ singer) is singing here are the lyrics…kinda cool too!

“Pay To Cum”
I make decision with precision
Lost inside this manned collision
Just to see that what is to be
Perfectly my fantasy

I came to know with now dismay
That in this world we all must pay
Pay to write, pay to play
Pay to cum, pay to fight

And all in time,
With just our minds
We soon will find
What’s left behind

Not long ago when things were slow
We all got by with what we know
The end is near. Hearts filled with fear
Don’t want to listen to what they hear

And so it’s now we choose to fight
To stick up for our bloody right
The right to sing, the right to dance
The right is ours… We’ll take the chance

A peace together
A piece apart
A piece of wisdom
From our hearts

it may sound odd, but i often find my self quite motivated by people who do not see or understand the validity in something i am passionate about. for me, it is in those intense moments of frustration and counter-pointing that i realize how deeply connected i am to an idea or feeling. in this case… being crafty.

it is true, we both have MFA’s from a highly respected institution. our degrees are in many ways a value to us, but much in the same way previous jobs or friendships are. In the past year we left the “white cube” gallery scene and found ourselves at a craft fair… for us, there is no going back. we are in love with this community of inspiring, intelligent, and well informed makers.

i will agree, there are many crafters that don’t make the best decisions, don’t take enough care in presenting their objects and that have horrible craft… but the same is true for many “fine artist”. the list crafters that inspire me has far outweighed the long list of artists i have studied or met in six years of fine art school.

so thank you, for this great reminder that we are very lucky to be a part of this community of makers, also known as “crafters”.

Best Wishes,
Shauna & Stephen
Something’s HIding in Here

Catherine: Yes, I will send this on to Bruce Metcalf (I believe Andrew has already done so!) and Snag. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.

Tina; Hi Tina! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. (Everyone- I owe my Etsy success to Tina’s awesome advice. Seriously)

Gabriel: Thank you for stopping by and writing! I was hoping you would catch a whiff of this post and comment! Also, Thank you for the work that you do on your blog. (This is not my usual writing vein, it’s not easy work- bravo to you!) I will have to admit that I have not yet worked through your post about your SNAG experience, but will do so shortly. Your experience may have been more positive than mine, but I am still somewhat skeptical of the SNAG attitude towards alt-craft. Along with the Metcalf and Wagner lecture, I also attended the Open Spaces Dialogue where Megan Auman and Amy Tavern fielded questions on Web 2.0 and Indie Craft. In my opinion, the vibe there was not unlike the one at the Metcalf and Wagner lecture. Seeing as how these were the two designated venues to talk about alt-craft, I can only conclude that this is the general SNAG attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I did meet people that are interested and supportive (Harriete Estel Berman, for example), but they seemed few and far between. I do hope I’m wrong about this. (One of my favorite moments from your blog: “Bruce, can I call you Bruce? love it .)

Rachel: There was a Q & A period after the presentation. There was only time for four questions. I did approach Bruce Metcalf afterwards to introduce myself, tell him that I have a B.A. in jewelry and metalsmithing, sell on Etsy and at Indie shows AND am self-employed. I also let him know that I was reporting on his presentation for Etsy. I then asked him if there was anything he would like to add to his presentation and Bruce said, “I’ve said everything I have to say”.

Caitlin: Hi! What a unique experience you must have had at ACC- being an indie crafter with a full-size booth! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m pleased to hear that there was a chance for ALL the exhibitors to come together to voice their concerns, because you’re right- whatever disconnect that exists between the “old” and the “new” is due, in part, to a lack of communication. This is why I wish that SNAG had asked an alt-crafter to participate in the panel.

Jane: Hi Jane! I’m always so happy to see your posts on my blog! To answer your question about Mafia membership: As we have stated before, we have the largest Mafia chapter in existence. There are over a dozen of us. Our meetings now often last many, many hours and to be truthful, it is a daunting task to keep this many people organized and focused. In order to put on spectacular events and shows, we have to stay as focused and organized as possible. Thus, we have no new members. However, the last thing we want to do is to be exclusive. That is why we plan workshops and events that the whole community can participate in. We try REALLY hard to be inclusive- it is one of our main concerns and I am so sorry if we have ever appeared or been otherwise. I will definitely bring up this point at our next meeting.
As for the craft shows we hold- we receive over triple the amount of applications than we have space for. (WOAH). So unfortunately, we cannot accept everyone. Also, there are THIRTEEN jurors, so the reasons for acceptance/rejection are never cut and dry.
Jane- you know you are my craft superhero, right?!!! you must know this? i’m not kidding.

Andrew: Hi! I’m so happy that you stopped by and left a message! Yes, please pass this post along to Bruce, I would love to talk to him as I’m sure we both need clarification. And I’m sure anyone would want to speak in his own defense after being called a ninny!
You said it all- Who knew that Bad Brains could work so well as an analogy??
Thank you for your encouragement and support. This means so very much to me. I will be submitting an article to Etsy after all. Also- Pay to Cum is now my studio anthem. I hope you are blasting this in the office as well!

Laura: So nice to meet you Laura! Thank you for your encouragement! I agree with the statement you made on your blog in reference to this post: “it all seems like academic snobbery to me”. I’m off to see the video that you have posted and look forward to reading blog!

“i often find my self quite motivated by people who do not see or understand the validity in something i am passionate about. for me, it is in those intense moments of frustration and counter-pointing that i realize how deeply connected i am to an idea or feeling. in this case… being crafty.”

You could not have described my feelings better. Thank you so much for listening and making beautiful objects AND posts!

I agree with Gabriel, there were many people at the conference who participate in the indie community, and who were offended about Bruce Metcalf’s sweeping generalizations about that community.
I think as the next generation of jewelers and metalsmiths, it is our job to help define SNAG. We can’t sit around waiting for the “established” craft community to be the bridge - we have to be the bridge.
I think both communities could learn a lot from each other if we stopped making assumptions, had an open conversation, and realized that essentially we all come from the same place and are working towards the same goals.

megan

ps - I also posted some additional thoughts about this on my blog. Thanks again Annie for starting a great and worthwhile conversation!

Annie, I don’t think the questions that Amy and I fielded were indicative of SNAG’s general disdain for the indie community, but rather from an attempt to understand what is going on in this new movement.

You and I are so steeped in the indie community that everything is clear to us, but to many at SNAG, it was their first time hearing about this, and it can be overwhelming. I also have to constantly remind myself that not everyone processes information at the same rate, and some people just need more time to understand what is going on.

I think the more people sat SNAG see and hear from the indie community, the more they will understand.

Oh my-
It seems that I enjoy eating worms in dark corners and feeling sorry for myself at times- especially on Monday’s stuck in an office! Haaa~

So sorry for being a poop… I do understand… really-honestly.

I can’t help but think about this post however- which is fantastic- because it is such a hot topic! On the way to work- I heard that this topic:

“11:00 Richard Sennett: “The Craftsman” (Yale)
Craftsmanship today can be more than just ‘skilled manual labor.’ A sociologist explains how computer programmers, artists, parents and citizens all are craftsmen in their own right. How doing a job well for its own sake gives everyone the potential to be a craftsman”
Is going to be on http://www.wypr.org/ at 11:00 today…

I am so glad you posted this~ and as for me- Hehehee- blush! Thank you.
I look forward to seeing more topics about this~
(You should write your article)
xxooxx

I think you misunderstood me. First, I think the whole range of alt-craft is a very good thing. I tried to frame it as the true wave of the future. When I spoke of “dry, airless and boring” shows, I was commenting about mainstream craft shows like Philadelphia and Baltimore. Furthermore, I was not condemning alt-craft for its appropriation of kitsch-far from it. I love kitsch, at least the kind I see in DIY and alt-craft. (That is, ironic and unserious, like the paint-by-number clock I showed.) As for self-employment, my comment was that relatively few people who sell work on Etsy are making a living selling their crafts. Is this true? I don’t know for sure, but anectdotal evidence suggests it is. Is this a condemnation? No. It is interesting in light of the claims being made that domestic handmade goods can meaningfully replace goods made in overseas sweatshops, though.

As for my colleagues finding alt-craft work “dreadful:” this is true. But if you followed my talk, a good part of my point was that they are wrong to think so, and they had better pay attention.

About training: my assertion could be wrong. My point was that the vast majority of sellers on Etsy and at the alternative fairs don’t seem to have a great deal of formal training in the craft they are practicing. As you point out, my survey sample is small. However, another member of the audience confirmed my sense. Even the BFAs and MFAs in the alt-craft world often have earned their degrees in other fields. Yes? No?

As for the low level of craftsmansdhip at alt-craft fairs: this is my perception. It is not, however, a condemnation. Really fine craftsmanship is expensive, and is often surrounded by claims to sophistication and refinement. Have you ever been to a SOFA exposition? Very high levels of craftsmanship abound there, and much of the work is bad. So where does that leave us?

Some of the most vigorous craft in the 20th century was funky and untutored. Take Alexander Calder’s jewelry: he never trained as a jeweler, and yet his work is astonishingly inventive and endlessly delightful. Or take Sam Kramer. Or Madelaine Yale Wynne. Or Janet Payne Bowles. Or J. Fred Woell. None of these men & women practiced high craftsmanship, but their work was wonderful. So, when I say that levels of craftsmanship at the alt-craft fairs are low, I am not condemmning anybody, I’m just making a neutral observation. That’s the way it looks to me.

In a 25 minute presentation, I can’t explain every nuance in detail. All I can say is that I think alt-craft is a corrective to everything in mainstream craft that has become too academic, too introverted, too refined. Mainstream craft has entered a decadent phase, I think, and alt-craft is a blast of fresh air. Sorry you didn’t hear that in my presentation. If you would like the text of my speech, I would be happy to send it to you, and perhaps you might reconsider.

Best, Bruce Metcalf

Firstly. I would like to apologize for misquoting you. I had not realized that you had used the words “dry, airless, and boring” to describe mainstream craft shows.

I see that you still believe that few people who sell work on Etsy are making a living selling their crafts. You ask, “Is this true?”. I stated in my original post that “I could make a very very VERY long list of alternative craft participants who hold b.f.a’s. or m.f.a’s and/or people who craft full time”. Obviously, I haven’t done statistical research analysis on the EXACT number (though now, I may). My point is, YES, your assumption indeed sounds like a condemnation- as if alt-craft does not hold enough value in the marketplace to support an individual- as if it is merely a hobby.

You state,
“As for my colleagues finding alt-craft work “dreadful:” this is true. But if you followed my talk, a good part of my point was that they are wrong to think so, and they had better pay attention.”

Bruce, In fact, I DID follow your talk and I never heard a call for a change of heart. To me, it seemed you wanted your colleagues to “pay attention” because this “dreadful” art was gaining in popularity and they had better watch their backs! Excuse me if i misunderstood this point. It was difficult to gather this when you compared alt-craft to bad 60’s macrame (at which point the audience erupted in laughter). Maybe you can see why I perceived this as mockery and skepticism.

You seem to be unwavering in your perception of “training”. I will reassert what I said in my original post:

“I could make a very very VERY long list of alternative craft participants who hold b.f.a’s. or m.f.a’s and/or people who craft full time.

Furthermore and of MORE GRAVE CONCERN, what exactly is Metcalf implying here? that unless work is born out of b.f.a/m.f.a. hands that it cannot be valid? This ivory-tower mentality is exactly what creates an unnecessary divide and alienation between me, the new alternative craft to THEM (old alternative crafters?).”

What is your opinion about the latter part of the above quote?

Thank you for connecting alt-craft with historical jewelry roots. I see now that when you state that the level of craftsmanship is low that you do NOT mean to make a condemnation. I want to tell you though that this was NOT made very clear in your presentation. Can you agree that when presenting to a group of people who do not know much about alt craft that a comment such as “the overall level of craftsmanship is low” can be steeped in negative judgement? I also wonder why you did not include any images of alt-craft jewelry in your presentation?

Thank you so very much for taking the time to clarify your point. I hope that the next time SNAG wishes to present on the topic of “alternative craft” that they will call upon an individual who is more invested in the movement to speak along with you.

And Yes! May I please have a text of your presentation? my email: annie@imogene.org

i hope others will take a look at the review of the american craft council show in baltimore that rania (aka goshdarnknit) posted to the crafty bastards blog. i know caitlin and megan exhibited at the show and maybe even rachel, too. would love to hear your thoughts on the ACC show and the whole “new wave” definition.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/craftybastards/2008/03/08/new-wave-and-were-not-talking-the-80s/

it was really interesting to hear what regular exhibitors at ACC thought of the new wave section. Ironically, as a searchlight artist, I was given a huge, FREE booth space, which no one complained about, instead everyone was complaining about the new wave artists paying $300 to be crammed in a corner.

I thought the new wave section and the searchlight section were some of the most interesting work in the show, but I know a lot of people who didn’t go into the new wave section because it was always so crowded, and people weren’t buying a lot in searchlight because it was too much like a gallery. So much for encouraging these new artists to want to exhibit again.

To be honest, I was a little annoyed about the new wave section, but mostly because I thought, why can’t it just be part of the regular show. Myself (though I was in a slightly different position), Caitlin, and Ali of pistolstitched all applied to the regular portion of the show, so why couldn’t the other new wave artists. But I place the blame squarely on ACC. If they really wanted “new wave” artists in the show (and I hate the term, “new wave”) why not just encourage them to apply. Perhaps the ACC needs to have a more formal assistantship program to make it more financially possible for emerging artists of any kind to participate in the (overpriced) show.

But the biggest disappointment of ACC was really the audience turn-out. Obviously, adding the new wave craft section didn’t really help the poor attendance that has occurred the last few years. And why would any artist want to pay over $1,000 for a booth to stand around and talk to their neighbors when you could pay $200, or even less, to do a show where the line to get in stretches around the block?

Hi Sara! I read Rania’s article on my layover in Charlotte on the way home from Savannah. I couldn’t BELIEVE the timing! I appreciated her completely honest review. I’ll be in touch with you!

I have to agree with Rachel- Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for taking the time to read through these posts. heavy stuff! And for everyone who has posted either publicly or via e-mail THANK YOU. I will be responding to everyone. As I said before, this is not my usual vein and I’m INCREDIBLY happy and so APPRECIATIVE of your comments! xoxo.

I hope next year more and more alt crafters do choose to apply to the regular ACC show through the juried process, but this year at least, the New Wave invitation was sent out after the acceptances for the regular show were already done. It would be great next year to have an integrated New Wave section, or possibly signage like the Green Craft signs this year, and maybe have smaller half booths available for comparatively less. I have to say, I don’t find the booth fee to be unreasonable, for the caliber of the show, and I wouldn’t trade down in booth size to save money. But, not everyone, especially jewelers, needs as much space for a booth. I guess the New Wave was meant to feel more like a marketplace than a formal show, and it did succeed in that, but it was tough to shop in such a smalll space.

While a less then all-encompassing and warm embrace is less-then-exciting I can see it as less-then surprising as well.

Overall my SNAG experience (and it was my first one) seemed to reaffirm one aspect of what you can do in the art field - be academic. I was really glad to see all the lectures on wed. that were geared towards different aspects of the art and crafting world, but still overall, SNAG is very academic. For those of us that choose a different route, it felt like a lot of the lectures and information given were interesting but not helpful.

I do think this is a very good discussion and will come back when I have a bit more time.
Thanks!!

i take a lot of “craft” classes, i have just never done it in a full-time matriculated manner toward a degree. i simply can not afford to (nor do i choose to) take 4 years off and do that. but i am eager to learn and continue to do so. I learn through continuing education, places like Penland (what a resource!) and fellow metalsmiths. there has to be room in this community for that. and i think my attitude, and that of many others in the field and on Etsy, is quite different than someone who simply sticks pre-fab things together. THIS is what I consider to be DIY.

i am a lover of punk music myself and as a side note would like to mention that this lecturer is not the first to talk about punk as DIY. Not only are there a series of records available on the subject (http://www.amazon.com/D.I.Y.-Series/artist/B000AQ3GXC/ref=ntt_mus_dp_pel) , but there was an exhibit at the EMP in Seattle about 7 years ago to that effect. I do appreciate the sentiment though. and to follow the thought through… does that mean that in 20 years the “alt craft” these gentlemen are disparaging will be just as established as the rest and coopted by the mainstream such as punk is now?

Anyhow, I also just wanted to direct anyone who is interested to one of the best articles I’ve read about this whole disconnect between various sanctions within fields and professions.

http://www.printmag.com/design_articles/your_design_here/tabid/214/Default.aspx

The article is by Virginia Postrel and I think more readily addresses the ‘old guard’ craft world’s fear of the “alt-craft” scene but is pretty terrific any way you slice it. Enjoy and keep the conversation coming…!

Hmm. More clarifications seem in order.

Throughout my speech, I made a very clear distinction between mainstream craft - in which I count myself - and alt-craft. I thought the way I introduced it was a clear indicator of my respect: “Populist, upbeat, and almost completely foreign to the conventional institutions of craft, this stuff interested me.” Even by calling it alternative craft, I underlined it’s position as apart from the establishment. Later, I said, “My opinion is that there’s tremendous energy and optimism in alternative craft. I think the established craft community…would do well to look at this phenomenon with an open mind.” I thought that was a very positive assessment. Populist, upbeat, energetic, optimistic: how is that not good enough?

My estimations of the levels of education in the alt-craft community and how much money they make may have been off, but frankly, it doesn’t matter. The important points I was trying to make lay elsewhere. But if you want to correct the record, please do so!

The quip about macrame was to remind all the baby boomers in the audience (who pooh-pooh alt-craft for its low aesthetic quality) that they and their peers made some awful stuff in their youth. Again, to quote: ” Some of my acquaintances can’t stomach alt-craft, finding much of it crude and unsophisticated. But the Renegade Craft Fair reminded me of nothing so much as the sixties… [T]he craft establishment should remember that 60s craft was often crude and irredeemable ugly… Remember macrame?” The point of reference was to the generation now in their late 40s, 50s, and 60s, not to the makers of alt-craft. I was reminding them to be humble.

However, there seems to be a very sensitive issue here. Do you seriously believe all the work on Etsy and in the alternative craft fairs is good? I don’t.

And I don’t expect it to be. Alt-craft is full of experimentation. People jump in and do things, without long periods of training and practice. They just want to try things out, and they find an appreciative audience. That’s the upside: the great energy, the openness, the freedom. But that’s also the downside: the naivete, the lack of expertise, the widespread imitation.

Those last three criteria may not matter to you, and it’s entirely possible that they should not be applied to the alt-craft scene. But you have to understand what my frame of reference is. I know a great deal about the history of American studio craft, and I know a modest amount about Western decorative arts in general. I know about some of the really great work, and I know what world-class craftsmanship looks like. I have held a Faberge Imperial Easter Egg in my hand. This work is tremendously accomplished, refined, sophisticated. And it exists somewhere along a continuum on which alt-craft is also located.

Andrew’s point with the punk-rock analogy is that that ultra-refined craft should not be compared to alternative craft, and I agree. But still: isn’t there some kind of qualitative judgment applied even to Punk? Is all of it equally great? Aren’t there degrees of authenticity, or inventiveness, or pure raw energy? Don’t people have favorites for a reason? Aren’t there some Punk bands that endure, and others that are forgotten? It’s no coincidence that Andrew chose the Bad Brains: they’re a classic Punk band. As with Punk, so with alternative craft?

Ah, yes. The quality question. One of the things I was suggesting in my speech is that alt-craft must be understood on its own terms. One must be open to to semiotics of American Pop culture, to irony, the appropriation of kitsch, and to radical politics to really get alt-craft. One can’t dismiss micro-capitalism. One must be sympathetic to grass-roots democracy in action, and be willing to accept a certain degree of rawness. These elements, among others, are possible criteria for good alt-craft.

Rawness, just like in Punk music. And frankly, rawness equates with “a low level of craftsmanship.” You tend to see an insulting note in the phrase, but to me it’s a statement of fact. And, I might add, a familiar tendency in the history of American craft. Low craftsmanship has continually brought fresh energy and new aesthetic directions to craft. (See my comments about Calder in my previous posting.)

Could the audience at SNAG have misunderstood, and thought my comment about low levels of craftsmanship was a condemnation? Yes, I suppose they could. (You did.) But I DID NOT SAY LOW CRAFT IS BAD. Perhaps I should have expanded on the comment, knowing it would have touched a nerve… but I was trying to cover a lot of ground in a short time, and I let it go.

In some ways, I think alt-craft trades in inversion of the old received truths. Does craft have to be all polished and refined. Umm…No. Does craft have to be presented in slick booths, with halogen lights and perfect visual consistency? Again, No. Does craft require a 5-year training period? Should craftspeople aspire to mastery of material and technique? No, and No. All I was doing was pointing at some of these inversions, and saying that they are part of a long historical continuum.

Obviously, I hit a nerve in you and others in the audience, who detected a note of dismissal. But I take alt-craft quite seriously, and I respect its democratic, transgressive nature. I was trying to say, as clearly as I know how, that alternative craft represents the future of the whole field. And since the mainstream doesn’t get it, they had better start paying attention NOW.

Here’s the conclusion of my speech. If you still think I was disparaging alt-craft, then I don’t know what else to say.

“Almost everything about alt-craft challenges the conventional wisdom of mainstream craft. The mainstream - largely populated and guided by baby-boomers, has become totally invested in building and maintaining a set of standards - particularly of quality and professionalism. And here’s the sad truth: those standards are killing craft. Juries for craft shows, rules of what’s allowed and what’s not, principles by which teachers critique their students - all these standards make the new kind of craft look amateurish, or sloppy, or insufficiently aesthetic. But these old criteria are emphatically NOT THE POINT. The only conclusion I can reach is those standards must be changed or given up entirely.

“Is my generation up to it? Having gained the wheel of control, are we prepared to say that we now represent the old guard, and we must step aside so all of craft can prosper and grow under a new regime? I don’t know.”

Please send me your address, because my speech was hand-written, and I can’t email it to you.

Bruce Metcalf

While I am at it though, it brings to mind the dichotomy of the movement though. I mean you had bands like the Talking Heads…art school graduates; and then you had the Dictators and the Ramones… just kids from the city. All of that music is great, and all of it holds up today.

and to my point about the punk stuff being “co-opted” what i really meant to point out is that many of those musicians who were considered outsiders back in 77 are now household names. so while they didnt have the respect of the mainstream rock community back in the day… they earned it because despite the fact that they were not schooled musicians over time people respected them for their talent and ingenuity. getting out there, working in the field, and refining your craft on your own… whatever it is… can lead to some remarkable work.

This sort of thinking makes me thankful that I do not need to answer to anyone but my customers who seem quite happy with my “little hobby”.

- Full Time Metalsmith

I am stunned. I’m just a girl with a blog. I blog everyday, often multiple times a day. I do have a small readership, but I would say that I receive an average of one comment per post! What an amazing experience this has been to talk and meet all of you- I had no idea that something like this would unfold! When I wrote this post, I was very hurt and wrote it completely from my heart. After all this dialogue, I stand by my original post.

After all this punk-rock talk. I’m going to end this comment on another note. My favorite Indigo Girls quote:

The best thing you’ve ever done for me…is to help me take my life less seriously…its only life after all…

xoxo!

I’ll be back tomorrow to say Hi! to everyone who left a comment today! thank you!

thank you, annie, for starting it off!.
and thanks to the many eloquent speakers here for finally verbalizing the vague impressions i’ve had about the disparateness between the fine art community and the ‘alt-craft’ scene (never heard that one before- and what the heck is a ‘new wave artist’?

for me, a BFA in jewelry making was a shortcut to realizing my desire to produce and sell my own designs…if i’d done it wholly on my own, the road would have taken many more twists and turns- possibly for the best, if i’d stuck with it. i am a huge advocate for life-long learning, but i really wanted to immerse myself in metalsmithing…so i did!
(and i’ll be the first to tell you it was the most self-indulgent thing i’ve ever done!)

(frankly, though, art school was pretty light on the technical training….)

all the while i was in school, i was frustrated by the trend towards heavily conceptual work. a few years after graduation, my friend was telling me the latest gossip about the who’s who of the the conceptual/fine art community…then she looked at me and said ‘you don’t care about this at all, do you?’ nope!

my interest was always realizing fresh and unique wearable designs that people could and would actually buy.

(it’s shocking to me that no one else i went to school with (that i know of) is making a living with their jewelry!)

after i graduated, i discovered the DIY/etsy scene in portland, OR. it was like coming home!

my work may seem raw to some (though i prefer to think of it as ‘enthusiastic’) but other people love it and cite me as one of their favorite jewelers.
it’s all relative. how true about the continuum!

anyhow, i’m exhausted and probably not making any sense at this point. just wanted to thank you all for the engaging debate and add my data to the in/formal sample set…

xoxo

It sounds like you are not convinced. I’ll just say I intended no offense, but neither did I intend to lead a cheerleading session about alt-craft. I talked about it exactly as I see it.

Could I have had the facts wrong? Well, yes. So I propose a two-part deal.

One, let’s find out what the facts are. (Frankly, both of us are making unsupported assertions.) I think a small survey (about 25-30 respondents) would suffice, if the sample was random and the survey was simple and concise. We could find out how much formal training people have received in the crafts they practice, and what degrees in craft (if any) they have received. We could also find out what percentage of them make a living at their craft.

Since you’re a respected member of the community, I think a survey would have more credibility (and get a higher rate of response) if it came from you. I’m willing to help draft questions and design the survey. I think it would be pretty straightforward and simple to do.

If this survey indicates I’m wrong -and I have specific numbers in mind- then I’ll apologize publicly and profusely, and correct the text accordingly. A letter to the SNAG Newsletter or Metalsmith would also be appropriate.

If I’m right, then I think you would need to modify your position.

For my part, I’ll type up my SNAG speech exactly as it was delivered, and offer to post it on your website. People can then read it and draw their own conclusions, instead of relying on hearsay.

What do you say?

BTW, April Wood was a student of mine last summer @ Penland. If you’re going to her opening, please give her my best. I won’t be able to make it.

Bruce

and to constantly reiterate that alt craft is not polished and not refined is simply not true. i am amazed at some of the talent i see at shows and to find that many of those artists are self-taught is even more impressive.

(and annie, thanks for starting such an interesting discussion)

I can honestly see where someone from outside of the “alt-craft” movement might be put off by an initial overview of the scene, or be offended that some of these artists are quite successful despite not having 3 degrees or 20 years experience. It has not always been possible for serious crafters and hobby crafters to sell in the same venues. Maybe this is a case of one bad apple spoiling the bunch for Bruce?

I know my work is not FINE craft, but I am honored to have the chance to sell right along with jewelers like Annie and Megan. This movement is as much about the ideas as the workmanship. Sometimes the idea outweighs the workmanship and vice versa… No mater our level of experience, we should be grateful to outlets like Etsy that we all get a chance to make a sell what we love in an attempt to make a living.

I kind of look at this alt-craft movement argument as reminiscent of the uproar over the beginning of Impressionism in 19th century France or even Rock-n-Roll in 1950’s America. Sometimes cultures need to think outside the box in order to evolve.

In 2004, I exhibited for the first time at the ACC show in Baltimore, and I was very excited. I felt is was an honor to among so many artists that had such standing in the field. A few weeks before the show, I found out that there were people circulating petitions and agitating to stage a protest at the show. Imagine my horror. I just wanted to show up and hopefully take some orders, how could they do this to me? Could the problems really be so bad?

Well, after my fifth show, I have seen that despite the wonderful things that the council purports to be about, they are oblivious to the welfare of the artists that pay most of the operating budget through booth fees. When I talk about “they”, I am not talking here about the staff, but the board, from which this attitude emanates.

As an artist, I would really like to see the ACC be a strong organization with diverse programs covering many aspects of craft. However, at present, it is an organization struggling for relevance. As part of their attempt to gain relevance, they decided to introduce the “New Wave Craft”, to the show. Is it because the Renegade Craft Show was written up in the NY Times a few weeks before and they wanted to catch some of that buzz?? The method of seeking these new exhibitors, was done in a manner that seemed almost designed to alienate their non-new wave exhibitors.

I was one of the only exhibitors to hear of this new wave section before the application was due and this is only because I happened to read about it on a blog. The original press release did not indicate that the $300 space was not a full booth and the application proceedure consisted of e-mailing 3 lo-res pictures with no application fee. To top it off, the application e-mail was supposed to say”I want to get rad in Baltimore”, well, gag me with a spoon! When I forwarded this press release to my fellow ACC exhibitors, it set off a forestorm of calls and e-mails and the orgization was forced to send out a clarification e-mail stating that the $300 was for a table only.

To contrast with this, to apply for a regular booth, one needed to have professional photos taken and to pay $30 for each section of the show applied to. The competition to get into the show is fierce. Artists with work in the Smithsonian museum get rejected from this show and the arguements about the jurying system are lengendary and rancourous.

Into this steps the unknowing indie craft artist. Much like myself four years ago… excited to be there, and completely taken by surprise by the level of dissatisfaction and hostility between the various parties. Not to mention that the ACC did a disservice to these indie craft artists by placing them in a makeshift section that was plopped down amongst the rest of the show. So, with all of this in mind, I think it will be easier not to take it personally

Now on to SNAG. This is an organization that has long been focused on the world of academic metalsmithing. Having been a member for years, I have also had the feeling of alienation. There has long been a call for SNAG to be more inclusive in regards to those of us that are called production jewelers. I stick with the organiztion because of my curiousity about what is happening in all parts of the field. This sometimes means that I find myself in the position of defending production work to the academics and the academic to the production jewelers. It is pretty clear that the struggle that some of you felt to defend your position at SNAG stems from this longstanding rift in the field.

One more thought.. isn’t it well known that Bruce Metcalf loves to stir up the pot and create controversy? It looks like he has excelled this time, and it gets people talking, which is good thing…

Natasha

Please feel free to post the entirety of your presentation here on the blog- that