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Craft In America - a journey to the artists origins and techniques of American craft
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Season Four, Threads episode premieres May 11, 2012 and Crossroads episode in October 2012, continues the exploration, preservation and celebration of craft.

Through their own words, craft artists reveal what makes their work – and the lives they lead – unique. Learn more about the artists featured in the episodes below. View the programs on the PBS iPhone/iPad app, online at video.pbs.org, or purchase DVDs of the Peabody Award-winning series for your home library.


Watch human hands transform humble materials into works of function and beauty. 

Turned bowls by Ed, Philip, Matt Moulthrop

Turned bowls by Ed, Philip, Matt Moulthrop

Randall Darwall, Woven Scarf

Randall Darwall, Woven Scarf

Coming Soon

 

episode 7 family episode 9 threads episode 10 crossroads

Is talent inherited? What is it like to live in a household where objects are made by hand? This episode explores the creative environments and personal dynamics of four families of craft artists.
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Threads explores the needle arts including weaving, storytelling through quilts and textiles that speak to the creativity of the human spirit.
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Why is the handcrafted object important in the computer age? How is the computer a tool for craft production, education and commerce? How do borders and personal crossroads affect an artist?

Coming Soon

 

Thomas Mann, Container Heart Pin

Thomas Mann, Container Heart Pin

Erika Sayar (North Bennet Street School), Violin, 2009

Erika Sayar (North Bennet Street School), Violin, 2009

Mark Hewitt, Vase, 2002

Mark Hewitt, Vase, 2002

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Some craft artists go beyond skill to create works that bring attention to contemporary issues. Find out what inspires artists to create and how they transform their personal beliefs into works of art.
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What inspires a person to choose a career in craft? And how does one acquires the knowledge and skills necessary to become a craft artist. 
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Craft traditions didn’t just appear, fully-formed and mature. Artists tie their work to early techniques and pass these practices on in a continuum of creativity. 
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Preston Singletary, Killer Whale Hat

Preston Singletary, Killer Whale Hat, 2004

 

Richard Notkin, Cube Skull Teapot

Richard Notkin, Cube Skull Teapot (Variation #23), Yixing Series, 2000

Sam Maloof, Double Rocker

Sam Maloof, Double Rocker, 2006

episode 3 community episode 2 landscape episode 1 memory

Throughout time, craft work has been a community activity. This hour focuses on the spiritual connection artists have to their communities through craft making. Some express the ideas, beliefs and desires of their community through their craft objects. Some pay homage to the community by continuing craft traditions that are in danger of being lost.
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The second episode focuses on the relationship between the artists and their physical environment. Craft artists depend on their natural environment for both materials and inspiration. This hour looks at the processes through which natural materials become finished works of craft, and what deeper messages may be contained therein.
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The first in the CRAFT IN AMERICA series, Memory takes a personal tour through craft's history in America beginning with the pioneers of the field. This episode juxtaposes the intimate stories of some of our country's most prominent craft artists against the larger historical context of craft itself.
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