Well, thank goodness for DVR…I managed to record the premiere of Craft in America Wednesday night, and I plan to watch it sometime tonight or tomorrow. But I’ve been watching some of the buzz about the show at some of the other craft blogs and overall the feedback has been pretty positive. The folks over at Greenjeans did a live blog and a wrap up of each episode on Wednesday night. While it’s not exactly a “live” blog anymore, it’s still a good read, and you can join in on the discussion about the series…you can check out each blog post here:

• Craft in America: Memory (part 1)
• Craft in America: Landscape (part 2)
• Craft in America: Community (part 3)
• Craft in America: the wrap up

Plus, I noticed that the Craft in America web site has been updated to include a whole wealth of information including sections on the history of different mediums (fiber, wood, metal, glass, etc), bios of each artist featured in the series, and downloadable educator’s guides. You can also order the DVD of the documentary on the web site, check out the schedule of the eight-city Craft in America exhibition and find out more about the Craft in America book, which is scheduled to come out in Fall of this year. Check it out….

The first part of a three-part PBS series on American Craft is set to premiere tonight. The PBS documentary, Craft in America showcases American artists and craftsmen and looks at how craft effects our culture. Tonight’s episode, named “Memory” will look at the stories of current craftsmen use them as a context for the history of craft itself. Tonight’s guests will include woodworker Sam Maloof, basketmaker Mary Jackson, metalsmith Tom Joyce, and furniture maker Garry Knox Bennett.

Tonight’s episode will air at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT, but you should check your local PBS station to confirm the time for your area.

The second episode, “Landscape” will air at 9 p.m. EDT/PDT and the third episode, “Community” will air at 10 p.m. EDT/PDT.

For more information about the Craft in America project, check out the web site at http://www.craftinamerica.org

Back in the day, little girls were expected to learn how to sew, how knit, how to embroider, and how to quilt, because it was part of the skills women needed in order to run their households. With the advent of mass produced clothing and home products, the necessity of knowing traditional “women’s” skills became less important, and for a time, knitting and sewing seemed to be terribly “old fashioned” and almost hokey. Not so anymore. Books and videos on quilting and knitting has exploded…and there is a revival of the old fashioned sewing or knitting circle…with a modern edge. And you’re likely to find more than just lady-like doilies and baby booties…today’s generation of knitters, quilters, and embroiders are creating amazing things. On today’s show, we’re looking at Women’s Work…the traditional domestic skills of sewing, embroidery, and knitting and how today’s artists are using these skills to make incredible art.

Guest List

• Daina Taimina (crochet artist)
• Linda Gass (quilt artist)
• Martha Fieber (fiber artist)

Listen to this Episode

To listen, click on the “Play in Popup” link below, or you can download this episode and listen later by clicking on the “Download” link. For more information on how to listen to episodes, visit the “How to Listen” page.

•  Women's Work [58:53m]: | Download
  
  
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Most things in life start with a passion for something. If you enjoy entertaining and welcoming guests, you’ve probably dreamed about opening a bed and breakfast. If cooking is your passion, you may harbor secret fantasies about opening your own restaurant. And if you have a passion for art, chances are that you’ve probably daydreamed about opening your own gallery. So what happens when someone decides to take their daydreams and make them into reality? In this episode, I’ll talk to three gallery owners, each in three different stages of their business and find out what happens when they take their dreams and make them a reality.

Guest List

• Wendy Rosen (president of The Rosen Group)
• JoAnne Hildt (co-owner of Pinnacle Gallery, 2006 Niche Top Retailer)
• Barbara Hester (co-owner of Vincent Hester Gallery)
• Randy O’Brien (ceramic artist)
• Angelia Armstrong (owner of Red Thread Studio)

Listen to this Episode

To listen, click on the “Play in Popup” link below, or you can download this episode and listen later by clicking on the “Download” link. For more information on how to listen to episodes, visit the “How to Listen” page.

•  So You Want to Own a Gallery? (Episode 2 - Pilot Episodes) [1:27:39m]: | Download
  
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For this episode, I decided to start close to home. In Norfolk, Virginia, there is an art center called d’Art Center. Here, artists rent studio space and all of their studios are open to the public. Visitors can watch artists work and learn a bit about the different mediums represented at the center. In this episode, I talk to the artists and learn what it’s like to work in the public eye.

Guest List

• Susan Bernard (executive director of d’Art Center)
• Elizabeth Sawyer (ceramic artist)
• Cathy-Jo Ramsey (glass artist)
• Lisa Melita (ceramic artist)

Listen to this Episode (click on links below)

To listen, click on the “Play in Popup” link below, or you can download this episode and listen later by clicking on the “Download” link. For more information on how to listen to episodes, visit the “How to Listen” page.

•  Open Studio- Crafting Voices (Episode 1, Pilot Episodes) [41:08m]: | Download
  
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Welcome to the Crafting Voices blog, the companion site to the Crafting Voices podcast. The Crafting Voices podcast is an audio program that focuses on American craft and those individuals who spend their lives creating, promoting, and collecting American craft. Crafting Voices is partly inspired by the Chicago Public Radio program This American Life and follows a similar format. Each show has an overall theme and will contain interviews and stories that focus on that theme.