2009 Exhibition
December 4, 2009 - January 23, 2010
Reflections in Glass
Held in conjunction with Craft Forms 09
Andrea Baldeck
Fine Art Photography
Craft Forms 2008
An overview of 2008's exhibition
Press & Reviews
Press generated by Craft Forms
GALLERY HOURS
MONDAY - SATURDAY / 10AM - 5PM
413 MAPLEWOOD AVE / WAYNE, PA 19083
610-688-3553 / WWW.WAYNEART.ORG
CONTACT
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Press & Reviews
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
December 12, 2008
by Victoria Donohoe
Come and discover the thrill of the ambitious national exhibit "Craft Forms 2008" at the Wayne Art Center. It's exceptional because it exists at all, and its high quality as a crafts showcase featuring clay, fiber, glass, metal and wood is gaining strength each year.
The 14th edition of the juried show of contemporary crafts attracted more than 700 potential exhibitors, including submissions from Japan and Canada. From that outpouring, the show's judge, Michael W. Monroe, executive director and chief curator of Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington state, chose 108 works by 93 artists from 27 states.
This year's event even has a significant simultaneous "offshoot," featuring a by-invitation-only regional woodwork group show, "Across the Grain," that merits close attention. (The inclusion of a rare music stand by Paoli woodworker Wharton Esherick required taking out a special insurance policy.)
Besides the high quality of "Craft Forms 2008," the display's most striking feature is that it's by far the "greenest" show yet in the series. Nature in its many forms makes some perfectly obvious appearances here, either in the object itself or its title. Some other nature references turn out to be exceptionally subtle or sophisticated. The nature-related pieces include claywork by Kate MacDowell, Jennifer McCurdy, Vince Palacios and Emily Snedden, textiles by Ann Harwell and Carol Taylor, and woodwork by Chuck Sharbaugh and Tania Radda, whose wooden football, titled "Field Kick," has laces sprouting into a "growing" branch. Relatively few of the pieces in the show deal with politics and war.
A thoroughly excellent exhibit, perhaps the most remarkable in the series, this event is outstanding because its focus is more than local. And the works on view were chosen by a leading authority on American crafts who searched for genuine artist-craftsmen (a venerable term) who would put their best foot forward as participants.
Such are the rewards, small and great, for an energetic, concentrated project like this, put together to enhance the public's awareness of fine contemporary craft. This display offers viewing opportunities of considerable interest that are difficult to match in terms of artistic quality.
BUCKS COUNTY HERALD
December 4, 2008
Craft Forms 2008, the
International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Crafts, will be on display at the Wayne Art Center Dec. 5-Jan. 24.
The juror is Michael W. Monroe, executive director and chief curator of the Bellevue Arts Museum, Wash., who has been involved with the craft and design field for more than 40 years. From more than 700 entries, Monroe selected 108 works from 93 artists from 27 states.
Monroe will present the Juror’s Talk at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.
Along with Craft Forms 2008, the Wayne Art Center is simultaneously presenting the Across the Grain Invitational Exhibition, a regional exhibition of 23 artists working in wood and featuring works on loan by Wharton Esherick and George Nakashima.
Mark Sfirri, curator of Across the Grain, is coordinator of and professor in the Fine Woodworking Program at Bucks County Community College.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is a suggested $3 contribution to view Craft Forms 2008.
The Craft Forms 2008 Preview Party is 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5. Along with a martini and wine bar, there will be hors d’oeuvres and dinner fare by Jimmy Duffy’s and Sons and music by Ron Kravitz and Stereoshruti-hanghang, eclectic world music created in the moment using percussion, voice, hang, shruti boxes, digeridoo and flutes.
Tickets for the fund-raising event are available at $150 per person at 6 p.m. and $100 per person at 7 p.m.
Call theWayne Art Center for ticket information, 610-688-3553, or visit craftforms.com.
A free lecture by Sfirri on Wharton Esherick is set for 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. A free lecture by Mira Nakashima will take place 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11. The Wayne Art Center is at 413 Maplewood Ave., Wayne.
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