Jamboree, a new and unique kinetic sculpture, is being introduced on my website this week. It is a one-of-a kind piece that is larger, freestanding and for the first time I have ventured into the third dimension in the design of my patterning wheels. The emerging visual effects vary as you alter your viewing perspective. Jamboree is the first completed piece emerging from my design sabbatical. There will be more experimental ideas appearing over the next few months so stayed tuned.
Koren born kinetic artist U-Ram Choe is currently being featured at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, TN. He creates flaura and fauna-esque pieces that are pleasing to the senses using metal, computer components, custom software and LEDs. Here is one example:
There are many videos on YouTube showing his work. Have you see U-Ram Choe's work up close? We'd love to hear your insight and thoughts on his pieces.
David installed Willow Wind at Eastern Connecticut State University on April 21, 2010. The kinetic sculpture is displayed in the new science building and was acquired by the university based on faculty requests. The juxtaposition of science and art continues to fascinate David.
For more information on Willow Wind be sure to check it out in the Exclusive Scluptures section of the website.
Photo: Kyle Ganson © 2005 Arthur Ganson is a kinetic sculptor based in the Boston area. He creates kinetic art with a sense of humor. According to the write up on the MIT Museum site Ganson's "contraptions [are] composed of a range of materials from delicate wire to welded steel and concrete. Most are viewer-activated or driven by electric motors." If you are ever in Boston, a stop at the MIT Museum is always fun. Many of his works are on display there. (Be sure to get good directions because it is a challenging building to find!)
Both his YouTube page and his website have a lot of great examples of his work. Check out his work and leave a comment here letting us know what you think. Don't forget to comment on the artist's page also!
This is the second of a series of blogs about my history in the craft industry. If you missed the first post start here.
The craft community of the '70's was an amiable, chatty group and although the early craft fairs may not have been a huge financial success, we were among friends trying to make an alternative living. We shared experiences and knowledge and a fellow crafter mentioned that we should investigate exhibiting at Rhinebeck. Rhinebeck was a juried show that was quickly becoming the premier craft show in the country, and we had never heard of it (Remember those days with no Internet?). The American Craft Council initially brought the show to the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY in 1973 and it combined both wholesale and retail opportunities for the growing craft industry in America. (For more information and a funky history of Rhinebeck check out the articles here and here).
Our early display. It was precariously balanced on scrap wood when we set it up in the tent on lumpy ground at our first ACC Rhinebeck craft show in 1977.
WTW first applied to Rhinebeck for the June 1976 show with the line of executive playthings and was rejected. It was a humbling experience. It also pointed to a problem that we faced until the advent of the internet - how to show motion. Jurying was limited to five static slides. It was very difficult to convey how the pieces moved or operated in a photo. Makers of musical instruments faced similar problems. I've always assumed that we finally made it through the jurying process because one or more of the jurors (mostly fellow craftspeople) had seen my work at one of the small shows and could explain it.
Like many things in life the set back turned out to be a good thing. Over the next year I developed the wall sculpture concept and expanded my woodworking skills. We got the "fat envelope" the next year and Wood That Works as a fledgling business was born.
The new category presented by the wall pieces opened the door to Rhinebeck and the national gallery scene. Luckily Rhinebeck was located in neighboring New York state which made our participation possible. In June I loaded up the second-hand pick-up truck emblazoned with red and yellow flames on the sides and headed west. Marji had to remain home because school wasn't out for the year and she was still earning the bulk of our income teaching high school art. Instead Larry, my roommate from college, was riding shotgun.
Establishing a business is always easier with a little help from your friends!
In some ways Rhinebeck was similar to other tent shows that we had attended. It took place at an agricultural fair ground which brought its own set of challenges. In warm weather it smelled like a barnyard and in bad weather it was a sea of mud. But in other ways Rhinebeck was a very different affair. On the opening evening there was a wine and cheese gala where the artists exhibited their work and mingled with gallery owners and buyers. This was a "no sales" event allowing gallery owners to see everything that was available prior to the initial day of the show. There was a lot of excitement around the WTW booth. The wall pieces were a new genre in the craft world - it wasn't pottery, weaving or glass and this was exciting for the gallery owners. Many owners said they would be back the next day to place orders.
Larry and I were stunned that first morning to find gallery owners lined up at our tiny 10' x10' grassy booth waiting to place orders. The orders started rolling in. After an hour or so of taking orders, Larry turned to me and asked how many pieces I had in stock and how many I could make. I wasn't sure - this had not been a problem before! Larry, always a creator of charts, set-up my first production schedule on scrap paper so that I didn't over promise myself.
A database before computers! It is amazing the stuff one saves.
I would have been hopelessly over-committed without his input. That first day we sold to many galleries around the USA including in Texas, California, and Hawaii. Many galleries from that first group showed my work for years but only one is still with us. Gregory's of Salado, Texas has been showing my work since the beginning and still shows it today!
At the end of the day I called Marji and told her that we could go ahead with the planning phase of the new house/studio we had been dreaming of building. In fact we needed to go ahead with it, I was going to need more (and warmer) space to work!
The original shop was so tiny all finishing took place in the lean-too shed outside. The ventilation was supurb! During the early years I did have one part time employee, Lisa, working above.
To continue to part 3:
Click Here
Craft shows have evolved by leaps and bounds since the 1970s when Wood That Works first entered the market. I haven't shown my kinetic sculptures at a craft fair since 1992 but Marji and I continue to visit many as collectors of fine American crafts. Not only do we love to create but we also like to collect and decorate with hand-crafted objects. Our favorite shows include the ACC show in Baltimore and the Paradise City shows in New England. Occassionally we hit some of the others if our travels coincide with a show. Each year American Style Magazine polls its readers to find out what the Top 10 [Craft] Fairs and Festivals are for the upcoming year. Here is the list for 2010:
1) Kentucky Crafted: The Market: Louisville, KY March 6-7
2) St. James Court Art Show: Louisvile, KY October 1-3
3) Paradise City Arts Festival: Northhamption, MA May 29-31 and October 9-11
4) Scottsdale Arts Festival: Scottsdale, AZ March 12 - 14
5) Francisco's Farm Arts Festival at Midway College: Midway, KY June 26-27
6) Kentuck Festival of the Arts: Northport, AL October 16-17
7) Bayou City Art Festival: Houston, TX March 26-28 and October 9-10
8) American Craft Council Show - Baltimore: Baltimore, MD February 24-27, 2011
9) League of NH Craftsmen's Fair: Newbury, NH August 7-15
10) Des Moines Arts Festival: Des Moines, IA June 25-27
Have you been to a Craft Fair or Festival recently? Which one and what interesting things did you find?