November Issue 1999
Celebrating The Work Of The Hand in Winston-Salem
The
36th Annual Piedmont Crafts Fair will take place at the M.C. Benton
Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, from Nov.19-21,
1999. The Fair is organized by the Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc.
As the millennium approaches, the consumer market is dominated by mass-produced goods and computer-generated imagery, and our daily lives are filled with objects which have rendered themselves invisible by the very nature of their plastic perfection. There are still some individuals creating hand-wrought, beautifully designed and crafted objects, and there are people and organizations that celebrate the combination of spirit, craftsmanship, and aesthetic that go into the making of those objects.
Since 1963, Winston-Salem, NC has been home to Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc., a guild founded by craft artists and collectors to honor the work of the hand. The organization carries on a centuries-old regional tradition dating back to the eighteenth century when the first Moravian settlers established their workshops, laid out their garden plots, and set up housekeeping in the lovely rolling hills of the Piedmont. Furniture makers, potters, weavers, metalsmiths and glassblowers, their goods were recognized as the finest available in the southeast. Today, Piedmont Craftsmen represents nearly two hundred of the region's most talented artisans. Exhibiting members are juried into the organization on the basis of their skill, professionalism, quality, and originality. Their work includes fine handmade garments, jewelry, one-of-a-kind functional housewares and beautiful decorative objects.
Before the Fair opens on Fri. morning, Nov. 19, nearly 200 local high school art students will attend a Crafts Career Day designed to expose students to the realities involved in choosing a visual arts career and to stimulate their desire to continue their education. The program includes presentations by professionals in the field exploring a variety of career paths and educational options, followed by a guided tour of the Crafts Fair and an opportunity to meet and talk with craftspeople.
Throughout the course of the Fair, Exhibiting Members will be demonstrating a wide variety of craft techniques in different media. Furniture maker William Showalter creates Windsor chairs using only hand tools and traditional techniques. He will work on chairs in his booth throughout the run of the Fair. Clay artists Jane Peiser, Richard Montgomery and Kathy Triplett will demonstrate hand-building techniques while Don Davis, Rachel Smith and June Kapos will throw vessels on the potter's wheel. Fiber artists Liz Spear and Neal Howard will demonstrate ikat dyeing and loom weaving. Printmakers Jay Pfiel and Marsha Heatwole will also demonstrate. Collectors of Tim Britton's handmade cutlery are invited to bring their knives to the Fair for a new edge when he gives his knife sharpening demonstrations on Fri. and Sat. A complete schedule of demonstrations will be posted at the Fair.
The fair showcases the handwork of more than 100 fine member artisans from across the southeast in a setting that allows shoppers to meet the craftspeople. Exhibiting members include craft artists who work in clay, wood, glass, fibers, leather, metal, photography, printmaking, and mixed media creating one-of-a-kind works that can be functional as well as beautiful. This year's Fair will feature a variety of craft showcase "rooms" and dining tables designed by local interior decorators demonstrating how beautiful handmade objects can be integrated into any design scheme. A fashion show of fine wearables will be held on Friday afternoon at 6pm.
Proceeds from the Fair support the educational programs of the non-profit Piedmont Craftsmen, established in 1963. Piedmont Craftsmen represents the highest standard of contemporary and traditional craft. Exhibiting members from throughout the Southeast have been juried into the guild by a standards committee made up of exhibiting craftsmen. The organization conducts workshops, mounts exhibitions, and operates a gallery and shop in Winston-Salem, NC.
The Fair's hours are 11am-7pm on Fri., Nov.
19; 10am-6pm on Sat., Nov. 20; and noon to 5pm on Sun., Nov. 21.
For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings
or call 336/725-1516. You can also get info from the group's web
site at (http://piedmontcraftsmen.com).
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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Carolina Arts
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Copyright© 1999 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
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