A gem in our library

In the spirit of the Service episode (premiering on PBS November 2nd*), we thought we'd share one of our indispensable references throughout the course of our research available in the library at the Center: Government and Art: A Guide to Sources in the Archives of American Art. 

Founded in 1954, The Archives of American Art is an initiative of the Smithsonian Institution to preserve the voices of our country's legendary artists. According to their website, "With over 20 million items in its continually growing collections, the Archives is the world's largest and most widely used resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in America."

In Government and Art, you can find the names of artists whose life and work has been documented by the Archives, including those who benefited from the G.I. Bill and many other support agencies like the Works Progress Administration.

*check your local listings 
  

Miyoshi Barosh at Craft in America Center

Last Saturday (September 13) at the Craft in America Center, Miyoshi Barosh shared a retrospective of sorts at our open house in celebration of the "Body Conscious" exhibition. Here's a few photos from the talk and open house.

Textile Society of America Symposium

This weekend, fiber lovers in Los Angeles were aplenty: the Textile Society of America convened its 14th Biennial Symposium here, at UCLA and other venues including LACMA.

On Thursday, Craft in America's very own Emily Zaiden, Director of the Center, delivered a talk on the history and impact of UCLA's large-scale fiber show Deliberate Entanglements. Some of the 1971 exhibition's attendees were present in the audience, as were its featured artists. It was a poignant convergence of past and present— not to mention on the same territory as the original exhibition, which was held at the UCLA Art Galleries.

Emily also moderated a panel she organized, Masculine Mystique: Men and Fiber Art, which brought together some of the most influential names in fiber, along with its innovators: Jim Bassler, Ben Cuevas, Joe Cunningham, Gerhardt Knodel and Michael Rohde. After each artist shared examples of their work (and some entertaining stories), they had a discussion with the audience about the gender politics of fiber and their own personal experiences as males working in fiber.

Emily delivering her talk on the 1970s seminal fiber exhibition Deliberate Entanglements

The Masculine Mystique panel (from left to right): Gerhardt Knodel, Jim Bassler, Michael Rohde,
Ben Cuevas, Joe Cunningham

Jim Bassler discussing his magnificent weaving about weaving

Preview of Service, premiering Nov. 2

Craft in America is pleased to share with you the 30-second preview of our upcoming episode, Service, premiering on PBS on November 2, 2014.



Service documents the power of the handmade to inspire, motivate and heal our nation's soldiers and veterans, featuring artists Ehren Tool, Judas Recendez, Peter Voulkos, Pam DeLuco, and Eugene Burks Jr.

For more information, please see the Service press release.