(by 5 people)
This lens will explore the ideas around making art in real world time, sharing that with others (selling, bartering) function (all art functions) and the economics of those enterprises. World peace can only be achieved through the inclusion of making. This idea is called Swadeshi, which literally translates as self-sufficiency and "The Village Movement". It was popularized in India by Mahatma Gandhi in the early 20th century. Today, its potential has far reaching possibilities, given access to the internet.
Handmade
Why craft is more relevant than ever
Being conscious of where our goods come from, how they are made, by whom and under what conditions raises the bar in the quality of our lives. If we recognize we are all connected and our choices impact each other, we can begin to change the way we shop for "stuff".
- davistudio
- My website, where you can learn more about my work, my studio, and buy davistudio dinnerware.
- Greenjeans blog
- Amy Shaw and Jae Kim own a little store in Park Slope, Brooklyn where you can buy artisan products mostly made in the North East (USA). They are great. Check them out. Their website is coming soon.
- Natasha Wozniak
- Natasha is a jeweler of extraordinary ability. I met her at the Baltimore American Craft Council show a couple of years ago and she is on my list!
- Jack Charney
- Jack Charney is a potter from New Mexico, whose colorful platters are distinct and fun.
- Greentree
- Greentree is a great company, run by Jenifer and Don Green, whose focus is fine wood furniture and accessories.
- Klara Borbas
- A terrific potter. (coming from another potter!)
- Toshie Otsuka
- Toshie is a Japanese national living and making pottery in New York. Her work is senstive and subtle. She's been at it about 7 years and is a marked talent with an impressive vocabulary.
- Claudia Mills
- Claudia is a fine weaver who creates these beautiful rugs, right in Boston!
- Sonya Mackintosh
- Sonya makes wonderful scarves, warm and fashionable.
Craft Guilds
A guild is a collective of artists/artisans working together to inspire eachother and possibly help improve visibilty of their work.
The difference between arts councils, societies and guilds is guilds tend to be artist run. This is an important distinction because an artist run organization tends to have the needs and voice of the artist front and center.
- Columbia Berkshire Craft Guild
- CBCG is a craft guild located in upstate New York. Mission statement-
CBCG is an artist run organization seeking to create opportunities for artists and crafts people to show and sell their work. Guild members strive to contribute to a local, sustainable economy through making fine arts and goods in small, environmentally sensitive studios. The Guild is dedicated to providing networking opportunities for artists, access to the arts for the general public and education and mentoring of young artists.
Artist Organizations
Groups whose purpose is to support artists in making a living and education.
- American Craft Council
- The American Craft Council is a national, nonprofit educational organization founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb. The mission of the Council is to promote understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft.
- Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston
- Incorporated in 1897, The Society of Arts and Crafts has been at the forefront of the American craft movement, fostering the development, sales, recognition and education of crafts for over one hundred years. Our highly-committed founders developed standards of excellence in design and technical mastery for crafts that inspired the American Arts and Crafts Movement.
- Danish Craft Council
- The Danish Craft Council organizes and present the work of Danish craftspeople. Some amazingly beautiful artwork, design, well crafted.
- Irish Craft Council
- Irelands organization of artists, designers, all crafting their own work.
Fair Trade Arstisan Goods
Cool stuff from around the world, handmade.
This link list will focus on organizations dedicated to global fair trade practices and places where you can but fair trade goods. These goods tend to be artisanal and often refelct the traditional methods and resources of a community, mostly in the developing world.
- Ten Thousand Villages
- Ten Thousand Villages is a founding member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and a member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), both of which aim to improve the livelihood of disadvantaged people in developing countries and to change unfair structures of international trade.
- A Greater Gift
- A Greater Gift brings you fair trade handcrafts and foods from around the world. They strive to promote living wages, women's rights and eco-friendly production through our partnerships with small-scale artisan and farmer groups. No child exploitation is used to make our products.
- Equal Exchange
- Fair trade coffee and chocolate.
- Aid to Artisans
- Aid to Artisans is a world community of entrepreneur-craftspeople who have the ability to improve their own lives, the lives of their families, the communities in which they make their homes, and their livelihoods.
- Fair Trade Federation
- An amazing resource with hundreds of links to fair trade organizations all over the world.
- A Taste of Justice - Equal Exchange Interfaith Program
- In this issue:
• Were raising the prices we pay to farmers
• Thanks and good news on Organic Certification
• Making Connections with Small Farmers in the US
• World Fair Trade Day
• Advocacy Days
• Upcoming Events
• Join the Equal Exchange team!
• Now
Blogs
bloggers on making, sustainability and fair trade
- my blog
- This is where I talk about what I love, my pottery and making and Techno Swadeshi and all things small and beautiful.
- World Changing
- WorldChanging.com works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. We only need to put the pieces together.
- City Hippy
- Peace, love and understanding...
- Whipup
- An Aussie blog about making stuff.
- Tree Hugger
- All things green.
- Shea Gunther
- Eco-Enterpreneur.
- Sustainablog
- Jeff McIntire-Strasburg talks about all things sustainable. Finger on the pulse...
- Art Esprit
- A blog by an artist, gallery owner, and curator. The blog is directed by her whims, musings,word of the day and new art finds.Yes ART finds. Truly one of a kind made by loving hands of artists.
New Seths Blog
My favorite business guru.
Check out Seth's Blog for tips on marketing, he has an eye on small businesses and is choka-bloka with ideas. Its all work. :)
What do you think?
What can I add?
This lens is a tool to help anyone interested in adding sustainable, beautifully made objects to their lives. It serves both to inform about the why and the where of craft makers in the US and fairtrade principles in general. Let me know if there are resources I need to add to this community and let's keep talking! Thank you for your help. :-)
