Retrospective Perspectives
American Craft’s editor in chief Monica Moses interviews curators Julie Muñiz, Oakland Museum of California, and Ursula Ilse-Neuman, Museum of Arts and Design, about “Space-Light-Structure: The Jewelry of Margaret De Patta.” The major retrospective of this pioneering jewelry artist, co-organized by OMCA and MAD, is on view at MAD from June 5 through September 23.

Highlights from a Ceramic Spectacular
The 2012 NCECA conference (National Council for Education on the Ceramic Arts) brought upward of 5,000 artists, educators, and ceramics enthusiasts to Seattle this past March, treating them to presentations, demonstrations, and exhibitions galore.Read senior editor Julie K. Hanus’ dispatches from the event, including slideshows of visual highlights, such as the “Push Play” invitational at Bellevue Arts Museum and two Archie Bray-affiliated shows at Foster/White Gallery, site of a magnificent elephant by Shay Church, part of his Wet Clay Installation series.

A Lot To Learn
A crackerjack lineup of educational speakers led lively discussions at the ACC show in Baltimore in February. Watch video of talks by Farai Chideya, Miri­am Works, Megan Auman, Michael Petry, Joyce Scott, Warren Seelig, Mark Shapiro, Chris Taylor, Thomas Thwaites, and more. You can also listen to the presentations as MP3s; think of it as long-distance learning for craft lovers.

Baltimore: The Sequel
Speaking of Baltimore, there’s more! At the show, the American Craft video squad caught up with metal-handbag maker Wendy Stevens and milliner Marie Galvin. Plus: What happens when you set loose actor, author, and interior designer Bryan Batt of Mad Men fame (above, with Joyce Scott) at an ACC show? Hint: It might involve modeling for some ACC show artists.

A Stitch Defined
Shelly Zegart, host and executive producer of Why Quilts Matter: History, Art, & Politics, spent nearly three years creating the nine-part TV documentary. Read the behind-the-scenes history of the project and discussion of the future of quiltmaking – plus a video preview of the show.