Craft is all around us.
Craft is a conversation between material and the skill of the maker.
Craft transforms everyday materials and objects into extraordinary things. - Dubuque Museum of Art, Iowa’s oldest cultural institution, established in 1874, and located in the heart of downtown Dubuque, IA.
Craft Artists utilize a variety of materials to create pieces that transcend what they once were. The centuries-old practice assembles handmade goods into a final product that is often as useful as it is alluring. While traditional art is almost always recognized as such, craft art blends into the world around us. Furniture, jewelry, instruments, sculptures, silverware, anything can be craft art.
The Dubuque Museum of Art’s exhibition, Craft Invitational, features 26 artists from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The artists showcase the diversity of materials that can be used for craft art.
Tom Loeser, a woodworker out of Madison, takes often discarded objects and incorporates them into furniture.
Monica Rudquist is a Minneapolis Clay artist and maker who creates with porcelain.
Alicia Velasquez uses stones and beads to craft jewelry in her Iowa City Studio.
Whatever they create with, whether it's ceramic, glass, paper, metal, wood, or textile they are able to create extraordinary from the ordinary. What connects them all is the material. Often using items we take for granted,
the artists are able to draw on the familiarity of simple materials to create something that’s beautiful. In doing so they challenge the confines of what art can be. The art of craft.
View a complete list of all 26 artists featured in the Craft Invitational exhibition here.
To find out more about the Dubuque Museum of Art’s 2022 Craft Invitational, visit: https://dbqart.org/craft2022/. Stay tuned for additional images and video from the Summer Artists' Garden Party craft event and fashion show.
AMIDST is a strong proponent for art of all kinds. AMIDST works with a variety of Midwest based craft artists and makers to create our products, including bookmarks, candles, perfumes, and print issues. If you are interested in sharing your work with AMIDST for potential collaboration opportunities, join AMIDST Creatives of the Midwest community to connect with us!
Words by AMIDST Editorial Staff.
