z o
o
m
V o ic e s
W h a t is y o u r
re a c tio n to
the A m e ric a n
C r a ft C o u n c il's
m ove fro m N e w
T o r k C it y to
M in n e a p o lis ?
As a Midwesterner, I like the
move. I know Minneapolis has
a thriving art culture. A New
York address does have a cer-
tain mystique, but I’m sure rent
will be less in Minneapolis.
M y advice: Get snow tires.
—M ic h a e l B a u e rm e is te r,
wood sculptor, Augusta,
M O
The move to the Plains, a little
closer to the quotidian, might
stimulate the
a c c
to redefine its
mission and to shed the conceit
that craft is art. Craft has be-
come precious-the petting zoo
of curators, dealers, makers and
collectors. I’m hoping that Min-
neapolis will do something to
reweave craft into life on Earth.
—G le n n G o rd o n ,
writer,
St. Paul,
M N
It seems to me that the Council
has been re-envisioning itself
over the past few years, and the
move to Minneapolis provides
an opportunity for it to operate
in a craft-friendly city. It’s
< 0
#
imperative for the organization
to articulate the value of craft
both to its membership and to
a larger general audience. I
think that this new location will
aid in that. I’m sorry that the
New York staff cannot be a part
of this transition.
—S tu a rt K e s te n b a u m ,
director,
Haystack M ountain School
o f Crafts, D eer Isle,
M E
Written two years from now,
since at the time, there was no
way to tell how it would work
out. In retrospect we can see
that the move to Minneapolis
was successful because of the
following changes.*
The Council has developed
a focus that is inclusive of all
aspects of the making/design-
ing community. It has support-
ed the breakdown of the territo-
rial material-based divisions.
The organization’s strong
lobbying effort in Washington,
d c ,
has brought federal dollars
to subsidize health care, land
liability and property insurance
for the community of makers
and designers.
As part of the Council’s new
global view, along with its lob-
bying efforts, a program to sup-
port American participation in
international fairs and trade
shows has been instituted.
*
The opinions expressed in this
letter do not necessarily reflect those
o f the Am erican C raft Council or
its subsidiaries.
- B e n n e t t B e a n ,
ceramist, sculp-
tor, Blairstown,
N J
I am thrilled. It is a decision
that reflects a conscious in-
volvement in our expanding
globalization that is inclusive
of all expressions of American
art and design.
The art community loves
New York City and associates
it with the pinnacle of innova-
tion in art and design. Innova-
tion happens in all corners
of this country, however, and
a move to Minneapolis shows
active participation in a broad-
er vision. M y congratulations.
I wish you much success!
—D u b h e C a rre n o ,
director, Dub-
he Carreno Gallery, Chicago,
i l
Apart from having the
A C C
and the magazine lose so many
long-term staff and so much
institutional memory, I don’t
see it as a big deal. With the
rise of the Web, no city is the
center of the universe any lon-
ger, and
A C C
has always had
a national presence. If this
move boosts the bottom line as
projected, I hope the library/
archives will be able to focus
on digitizing its collections.
The anxiety over art-
world status and identity has
been such a drain on the craft
community. A dose of “Min-
nesota nice” and Midwestern
pragmatism might be an ex-
cellent tonic.
— J o d y C lo w e s ,
writer, curator
and exhibitions manager fo r the
fa m es W atrous Gallery o f the
W isconsin Academ y o f Sciences,
A rts, and Letters, M adison
In 1978, nine ceramists—potters
and sculptors—in the Baltimore
area sought to establish a center
for artists, students and the
public to experience and learn
about clay, a collective space to
work in© and©, teach and ex-
hibit. The group’s formulation
of their vision to representa-
tives from a city planning agen-
cy earned them the use of a his-
toric library building in the Mt.
Washington neighborhood of
Baltimore, and after a renova-
tion of the building to their pur-
poses, the nonprofit Baltimore
Clayworks opened its doors in
November 1980. Tw enty years
later, a donated 1880s stone
building across the street called
the Provincial House was inau-
gurated as Clayworks’ gallery
space. Five years ago, an addi-
tion and renovation to the origi-
nal building resulted in a state-
of-the-art studio facility.
The mission of Baltimore
Clayworks as it has evolved
over 30 years “is to develop,
nurture, sustain and promote an
artist-centered community that
provides outstanding educa-
tional, artistic and collaborative
programs in the ceramic arts.”
. o r g / e d u
B a ltim o re
C la y w o rk s
a t
3 0
018 american craft oct/nov io
Illustration Tamara Shopsin.
