Y
!
flB Y L E
MAKERS
AND MAKERS OR STYLE
STORY BY
Laura Silver
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Jake Armour, armourphoto.com
I
n a world of mass-produced,
cookie-cutter goods, where nothing
lasts beyond a few years, let alone
a lifetime, it's heartening to meet
others who not only share our
love of fine craft, but support it and
celebrate it most tangibly.
That's why the American Craft
Council salutes this extraordinary group
of Style Makers, shot on location in
Baltimore at MICA (Maryland Institute
College of Arts), and in Atlanta at the
Goat Farm, an old foundry converted
into a robust artists' community. In their
commitment to handmade craft, they
"walk the walk" as collectors, devotees,
and patrons. Style Makers understand
the importance of artistic expression
and artistic rigor, they value and invest
in beautiful handmade objects, and
they display their own personal flair
through the objects they adore.
Each of these collectors has a
special connection to one or more craft
medium - to the sensuous drape of
handmade wearables, the tactile curve
and finish of ceramics, the shimmering
color and sparkle of glass, the transfor-
mational power of jewelry, or the rich,
organic diversity of wood. They know
that one of the greatest delights of fine
craft is the opportunity to own some-
thing unique and authentic, something
made one at a time and for us alone.
The work that comes from the
artisan's physical being and soul, and
is the product of the dedication and
challenge of a life's worth of experi-
ence, connects us forever to that maker,
and back through time to all who've
labored to make beautiful, functional
works of art.
Thank you to all of the talented ACC
artists who made this project possible.
Tamara Bowens co-owns
BowensBergeron, an Atlanta-based design
house featuring handcrafted wooden
handbags. Wrap, Gina Pannorfi; belt,
Paul Pearman
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