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Fall 2021

Fall 2021

Kinship

Cover the of the Fall 2021 Kinship issue of America Craft magazine

American Craft magazine celebrates the diversity of American craft and its makers. From the handmade that we use in our homes every day to the fine craft honored in museums, we cover inspiring craft being made today. We also showcase craft organizations making a difference in their communities, thought leadership in the field, and the importance of craft in contemporary American culture.

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From the Editor

Kinship. If we’ve learned anything over the past 18 months of life during a global pandemic, it’s that connection matters. So in this issue, which honors American Craft’s 80th anniversary, we explore craft and kinship.

In this issue, you’ll find stories of artists whose work has been shaped by deep connection. On the cover is a quilted portrait by Bisa Butler, who finds kin among the people in the old photographs that inspire her textile work. Our “Maker” profile highlights Dina Nur Satti, whose ceramic vessels reconnect her with North and East African ceremonial traditions and her cultural identity. Thought-provoking essays by the late Anni Albers, cultural forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort, and American Craft’s art director Lisa Mauer Elliott offer insights into the soulful connections possible in design and craft.

We hope you’ll savor our stories about inventive craft collaborations, like those between weaver Wence Martinez and painter Sandra Martinez and between ceramist Gregg Moore (pictured below on the left) and chefs such as Omar Tate (pictured below on the right) at Stone Barns Center. We also hope you’ll consider the role of kinship in craft and in your life—and, as you connect with people, places, and materials, that you find yourself deepening these kindred relationships.

The American Craft team and the whole American Craft Council staff are going to miss outgoing executive director Sarah Schultz. We’re grateful for her visionary, dedicated leadership, and for always championing the essential work of artists.

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KAREN OLSON / Editor in Chief

two people in face masks and jackets working together on a project in a yard outside a brick building

Collaborators Gregg Moore (left) and Omar Tate (right) of Stone Barns Center. Photo courtesy of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

American Craft Council publishes American Craft magazine on a quarterly basis but reserves the right to change the number of issues in an annual term, including discontinuing any format and substituting and/or modifying the manner in which the subscription is distributed.

Feature Articles

American Craft at 80

This year American Craft celebrates its 80th anniversary. In the world of publishing, this is a remarkable achievement. We invite you to join us as we pause and reflect, revisit the past and look to the future.

Designing

A thought-provoking 1943 essay by Anni Albers reproduced from an early issue of Craft Horizons.

The Energy of Kinship

How animism will reshape the way we design and make.

Kindred

The magical, meaningful collaboration of Wence and Sandra Martinez.

More Than a Plate

Ceramist Gregg Moore collaborates with chefs—and the land—to create custom dishes that reflect everything from sustainable farming to police brutality to the Chilean coastline.

Portraits in Craft

Three artists use old photos and photographic processes to tell new stories.

More from This Issue

portrait of dina nur satti with various ceramic vessels

Dina Nur Satti

The pivotal moment for Dina Nur Satti came early. She had been taking ceramics classes for less than a year, at a Manhattan pottery studio, when she shared her first mugs and tumblers with her father.
portrait of sarah schultz

Fond Farewell

Outgoing executive director Sarah Schultz reflects on her tenure at the American Craft Council and the value of craft in her own life.
horizontal grid of photos of children holding up handmade prints featuring rivers lakes hearts trees and words in cursive script

On This Land Where We Belong

Artist, writer, arts activist, and cultural community organizer Shanai Matteson explores how creative expression and activism shape the world we live in—and make kin.
Person in black tshirt shaping hot glass as part of a demonstration in a workshop with onlookers

Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience

Seattle and its environs are the heartland of art glass in America, and this heritage will be on display when the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum joins Visit Seattle, Pilchuck, and a host of galleries and artists to present the third annual Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience.
A shed-like artist studio with tall humanoid wooden sculptures

Returning

An artist steps into the studio of sculptor Randy Takaki and comes away changed.
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