|
|
||||||
 Dear
Ornament Reader,On May 30th, beginning at 8 P.M., the three-part Craft in America series airs on PBS, in high-definition resolution. Birthed some eleven years ago by one determined individual, Carol Sauvion of Freehand Gallery, Los Angeles, this monumental undertaking is her labor of love, her passion and her desire to give a beautiful gift to America itself and to American craft in particular. Of course, it involved the participation of many dedicated people, but it was Sauvion’s instincts about the necessity of bringing to the American public the little recognized, underappreciated and understood importance of craft. We are a people who have proudly worked with our hands; and many still do, bringing meaning to our own and others’ lives through our handiwork. It is the hope of all who love or work in this field, that greater America will be exposed in this PBS special program to the lives and works of these artists, who are spread across our continent. This series comes at a particularly opportune time, as we hear constantly of how difficult it is for individual artists and businesses to survive in today’s economic climate, weighted by the apprehension about the world situation and how globalization and Walmartization have made low prices the paramount driving economic force. This has extended to institutions like museums, national parks and zoological parks, where the operations of their shops have been outsourced to big corporations, resulting in a sameness, blandness and lack of local individuality, all in the name of improving the bottom line. Simultaneously, we have an aging demographic, both in the makers and consumers of craft. This is especially true for craftspeople who work in metal, textiles, wood, and ceramics, but less so for the newer media of polymer, lampwork glass and beading. It is as if for an entire segment of the population, concrete objects of skill and beauty hold no sway to the electronic, virtual world. If we all become passive consumers of low-cost goods made by low-wage workers, our strength and spirit as a nation will suffer. While art has been one area of human endeavor that has lifted the human spirit through time, it does not exist in isolation, nor can it survive if the artists cannot make a living. We hope that all who love the media that Ornament covers—jewelry, beads and clothing—continue with their passion, as well as actively support the art of personal adornment so that it can provide meaningful livelihoods for artists. Our planet Earth is such a small world; and whether good or not, everything has consequences on it.
|
||||||
| The
Art & Craft of Personal Adornment © 1974-2007
Ornament Magazine. All rights reserved. |
