L a r s o n ( m e t a l a n d g la s s
Tree
o f Life and Knowledge)
J a n
B r a z d a
(Altar and Quire IViti-
dow
) , B o B e s k o w ( t h r e e
s t a in e d g la s s w i n d o w s ) a n d
U l la G o w e n iu s
(Sanctuary
Carpet).
T h e tr u e m a s t e r p ie c e
is B e r t il V a llie n ’ s m a s s iv e t r ip -
t y c h
From Darkness to Light
t h a t is la d e n w i t h t h e h e a d s o f
t h e A p o s t l e s , s c e n e s f r o m th e
O ld a n d N e w T e s t a m e n t s ,
t h e h e a v e n s , a n d a la r g e c a s t-
g la s s b o d y o f C h r is t . O u r r e c e n t
v i s i t c a m e j u s t a f t e r w e h a d
v is it e d m e d ie v a l c a th e d r a ls
in A m s t e r d a m a n d A n t w e r p
t h a t c o n t a in e d g r e a t a r t b u t
in d a r k a n d d i n g y c o n d i t i o n s ,
a n d t h e y w e r e o v e r c r o w d e d .
T h e C a t h e d r a l in V a x j o is
b r ig h t a n d a i r y , t h e c r a f t s
s p e a k t o c o n t e m p o r a r y t a s te s ,
a n d i t is q u ie t a n d p e a c e f u l.
N O R M A N D . S T E V E N S
S t o r r s , C T
Looking to the Future
I h a t e lo n g g o o d b y e s . I s t a n d
in m y d o o r w a y a n d t h e d e a r
d e p a r t in g w o n ’t le a v e ! W h y
w o n ’t t h e y g o ? I r e a liz e t h e y
a r e h o p in g w e w i l l s p e e d th e m
o n t h e ir w a y .
T h i s is a n a n a lo g y f o r w h a t
is b e i n g d is c u s s e d t o d a y in
t h e c r a f t s . N o o n e h a s t h e a n -
s w e r . A d a p t a t i o n is s h a p e d
b y c h a n g in g t e c h n o l o g y , a n d
a n s w e r s n e v e r s t a y p u t .
S i x t y y e a r s a g o t h e c r a f t
m o v e m e n t w a s i n t e r t w i n e d
w i t h id e a lis m . A m o n g m y
p e e r s t h e id e a l o f s i m p lic it y
p r e v a i le d . W e w a n t e d t o liv e
s e lf - s u f f ic ie n t l i v e s , h a v in g
n o t h i n g in o u r h o u s e s t h a t w a s
n o t b e a u t if u l. W e w e r e w i l l -
in g t o h a n d - w a s h d is h e s a n d
s w e a t e r s , p o l is h s i l v e r , w a x
f u r n it u r e , a ll t o p r e s e r v e t h e
c h e r is h e d o b j e c t . T h e n t h e
a g e o f h ig h - t e c h o v e r t o o k u s .
O n e h a d t o h a v e a p h o n e , a c a r ,
a t y p e w r i t e r . S o o n w e w e r e
b u lld o z e d in t o h a v in g a t e l e v i -
s io n , a n d , la t e r , c o m p u t e r s .
I s u g g e s t t h e r e a re t w o a s -
p e c t s t o c r a f t . O n e is t h e
u n d e r ly in g id e o lo g y a n d th e
o t h e r is t h e r e s u lt in g p r o d u c t .
T h e l o y a l t y t o t h e p h ilo s o p h y
a n d w a y o f lif e r e m a in s a v it a l
l i n k a c r o s s a ll s o r t s o f s o c ia l
lin e s . I fin d t o d a y ’ s e n d le s s
s e lf - a d v e r t is e m e n t w i t h w e b
p a g e s , c o m p e t i t i v e s h o w s ,
a n d , w o r s t o f a ll, t h e a c a d e m -
i z a t i o n o f c r a f t —w i t h t h r e e
h o u r s o f c la y s a n d w ic h e d b e -
t w e e n “ U r b a n S o c i o l o g y ”
a n d “ E n g lis h L i t e r a t u r e o f
t h e 1 7 th C e n t u r y ” —a b s u r d .
I r e r e a d H a r o ld J B r e n n a n ’ s
a r t ic le o n “ h is ” ( o u r ) S c h o o l
f o r A m e r ic a n C r a f t s m e n in
t h e M a y / J u n e i9 6 0
Craft Hori-
zons.
T h e r e w a s a s e p a r a te
s p a c e f o r e a c h s t u d e n t . F o r t y
h o u r s a t t h e b e n c h , w h e e l ,
lo o m . “ A l l , y e s , ” I t h o u g h t .
S t a n d in g in t h e d o o r w a y ,
I w i s h t h e n e w g e n e r a t io n
w e l l . B u t g o a lr e a d y . S t o p th is
n o s t a lg ia , t h is c lin g in g t o a n
“ o ld ” y o u r e je c t .
L I L I K R A K O W S K I
C o n s t a b le , n y
1 a m a n e m e r g in g g la s s a n d
f ib e r a r t is t f r o m P h ila d e lp h ia
a n d I j u s t w a n t e d t o s a y h o w
g r e a t a n in s p ir a t io n y o u r m a g -
a z in e is t o m e . A f t e r g r a d u a t -
i n g f r o m a r t s c h o o l a n d b e in g
o u t in t h e “ r e a l w o r l d ” i t ’ s
d if f i c u l t t o s t a y in s p ir e d a n d
k e e p m o v i n g f o r w a r d , b u t
y o u r m a g a z in e w i t h a ll o f y o u r
a m a z in g a r t is t s r e a lly h e lp s .
H o p e f u l l y , s o m e d a y o n e o f
t h e m w i l l b e m e .
S A R A H O R N E
P h ila d e lp h ia , p a
Write to us:
le t t e r s @ c r a f t c o u n c i l.o r g
A m e r i c a n C r a f t m a g a z in e
7 2 S p r in g S t r e e t , 6 th F lo o r
N e w Y o r k , N Y 10 012
L e t t e r s a r c s u b je c t t o e d itin g .
A n o n y m o u s le t t e r s w i l l n o t
b e p r in t e d .
MAY
1
- JUNE
1
4
,
2010
VELVET DA VINCI
2 0 15 Poik s tre e t
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.441.0109
www.VelvetDaVinci.com
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
952.922.8364
jewelry
home
chocolate
www.StyleByMax.com
satellite rings
by Dana David
18k gold,
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