State of Craft Exhibits

At the Bennington Museum through October 31, the anchor show for a year-long celebration of the studio-crafts movement in Vermont brings together work from outstanding artisans from throughout the state. The show’s goal is “To document, preserve and interpret” the last fifty years of craft in the state, a time when crafts went from industrial production or a leisure time activity, to intensive, creative production carried out by an individual or small group of individuals in a studio environment.

The history is told in “big picture” statements on one wall of each room, and subordinate, more detailed and specific texts are placed next to each piece as context. Succinct and clear, the text elucidates three major aspects of the craft movement: “Living By Making” “Communities/Connections” and “Inspirations.” Often a particular artisan or craftwork straddles more than one category and happily the organizers let overlap happen and don’t fudge the finer points.

The show is lovingly and thoughtfully mounted and covers glass, pottery, fabric, metalwork and woodwork.