I’ve started blogging at a second venue: http://handmademeaning.wordpress.com
This blog is connected to the upcoming exhibition Handmade Meaning: The Value of Craft in Victorian and Contemporary Culture, opening at the James Watrous Gallery in Madison on December 17, 2010. Both the exhibit and the blog bring together late 19th and early 20th c. examples of Wisconsin women’s craft work (embroidery, lace, china painting, etc.) with works by 21st c. Wisconsin artists who use traditional craft techniques and materials to explore contemporary issues of gender identity and to push the boundaries of the historic definition of craft. These two worlds are not as far apart as they might first appear.
For those of you hoping for more Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database news, check back here again in the coming weeks. I have some exciting site visits scheduled and should be adding more artifacts soon.
–Posted by Emily Pfotenhauer
