Craft has always had a strong tie to the domestic sphere. Historically, craft objects were made with a functional purpose, whether it was ceramic plates used for meals or quilts to keep people warm at night. Other crafts, such as needlepoint, served as leisure activities for women and frequently decorated people’s homes. This strong connection between craft and the home is critically explored in Beyond Useful & Beautiful: Rethinking Domestic Craft. The exhibition presents a variety of media—including furniture, wall paper, ceramics, quilts, needlepoint, glass and metal—in a series of domestic vignettes or “rooms” set up throughout the large gallery.

One of the founding fathers of the Arts & Crafts Movement, William Morris, famously said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Taking this quote as a jumping-off point, HCCC Curator, Anna Walker, selected works by 13 contemporary artists that critique concepts of beauty and usefulness in their practice. The show features artists from all over the U.S., including four from Texas. Walker stated, “Beyond Useful & Beautiful is HCCC’s first exhibition in two years that is not based on a particular craft material or group of materials but, instead, explores an overarching conceptual theme—that of craft’s relationship to the home. Investigating domestic themes is a strong national trend in contemporary craft, and this exhibition attempts to capture this trend with brand-new work from 13 exciting artists.”

Of the five artists using furniture in their work, Dallas artist Shannon Brunskill is of particular note. Her piece, Vanity, has a cast-glass “mirror” affixed to an heirloom vanity. The subtle cracks found in the glass would typically cause the work to be seen as damaged, but Brunskill is actually interested in drawing attention to the imperfections, not hiding them. In this body of work, she references the fractures or damage everyone has from his or her childhood by using a process of annealing to intentionally crack the glass. Within the domestic sphere, her work speaks to the past lives of objects and the hidden history of events that each generation inherits in the form of hand-me-downs.

Throughout the exhibition space, artist Alison Owen will create a site-specific wallpaper installation that both reacts to the space and to the work of the other artists. Owen uses the dirt and debris she finds in her installation site to recreate historic, handmade wallpaper patterns. During the week leading up to the opening, she will clean the gallery and collect debris to create intricate designs, which she will then add to walls throughout the entire space. She draws inspiration from the other works in the show and may even reference these artworks in her wallpaper patterns. Upon viewing her work, visitors are often first struck by the beauty of her designs and then shocked when they realize the piece is made from dust, dirt and hair.

Inspired by her grandmother, who frequently began needle-point projects but never finished them, Mary Smull collects forgotten needle points from online auctions and thrift stores and then completes them with white yarn. By using only white yarn, Smull completes the pieces physically but not visually. With this practice, she preserves the labor initially invested by the anonymous artists and asks the viewer to question how people value the time of a trained artist versus a hobbyist. Needle point is an artistic medium that traditionally has been considered “women’s work,” and Smull highlights the conceptual ideologies related to how our culture values this type of leisure activity versus “high” art forms.

Featured Artists
Shannon Brunskill – Dallas, TX (glass)
Venetia Dale – Milwaukee, WI (metal)
Jennifer Ling Datchuk – San Antonio, TX (ceramic)
Jan Harrell – Houston, TX (enamel, metal)
BA Harrington – Madison, WI (furniture, wood, fiber)
Darryl Lauster – Arlington, TX (ceramic, furniture)
Lauren Mayer – Longmont, CO (ceramic)
Alison Owen – Providence, RI (installation)
Mary Smull – Philadelphia, PA (fiber, needlepoint)
Blake Jamison Williams – East Lansing, MI (ceramic)
Aaron McIntosh – Richmond, VA (fiber)
Jennifer Halvorson – Carbondale, IL (glass)

Above, from left to right: Shannon Brunskill, Vanity. Cast glass and found objects, 60″ x 48′ x 16″. Photo by Sean Brecht. Venitia Dale, Touchmarks: No. 901 Made in India. Pewter. 14″ x 13.5″ x 13″. Photo courtesy the artist. Mary Smull, Blue Boy. Found unfinished needlepoint completed by artist using only white yarn. 20″ x 26″. Photo courtesy the artist.

Gabriel Craig and Michael Remson have collaborated on the concept, execution and implementation of this piece since late 2009. The primary visual element of Soundforge consists of massive, gate-like steel structures that the audience can “play” as larger-than-life instruments, in a manner similar to a xylophone. Using a mallet, participants can strike the steel structures at various points to create different tones. The structures, which reference historic wrought-iron motifs, are complemented by a fifteen-minute, original music composition and a video of forging that encourages the audience to interact with the work. The composition, which is influenced by Balinese Gamelan and Phillip Glass’ minimalist music, is created from the recorded sounds of Craig forging steel in his studio. With Soundforge, Craig and Remson have interpreted craft not only as finished objects—the steel structures and video—but also as the “crafting” of a musical score.

HCCC Curator, Anna Walker, commented, “Soundforge creates an incredible learning opportunity for those interested in music to explore craft and vice-versa. This installation is truly unique because of its cross-disciplinary approach to craft and the element of audience interaction. As an exhibition, the piece promotes community engagement, collaboration among different types of artists, and an understanding of craft as a process of making.”

As a metalsmith, writer and craft activist, Gabriel Craig has always been interested in the intersection of craft with other disciplines. His work often encompasses a larger message than that of a finished object. Craig’s studio work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and his critical writing has appeared in various publications, including Metalsmith, American Craft, and FiberArts magazines. He completed artist residencies at HCCC in 2009-2010, and at Savannah College of Art and Design in 2010. He is currently an adjunct instructor in metalsmithing at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Craig received his BFA from Western Michigan University and his MFA in Jewelry and Metalworking from Virginia Commonwealth University. Soundforge is his largest project to date and his first collaboration with a composer.

Michael Remson is the Executive and Artistic Director of American Festival for the Arts (AFA). A Houston-area composer whose work has been performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, Remson is simultaneously a composer, librettist, author and educator. He has received awards and grant support from the American Music Center and Houston Arts Alliance, along with numerous fellowships and residencies, including The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, The Ragdale Foundation, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Remson completed doctoral studies in composition and libretto writing with Grammy Award-winner Carlisle Floyd, Robert Nelson, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee. He is an alumnus of New York University, the University of Houston, and Carnegie Mellon University. This project represents the first time he has contributed his music to the creation of a large-scale art installation.

Above, from left to right: Grabriel Craig working in his resident studio at HCCC, 2010. Photo by HCCC. Gabriel Craig and Michael Remson, Soundforge (detail). Mild steel, wooden mallets. Photo by Gabriel Craig. Michael Remson, photo courtesy of Michael Remson.

Pillars of Resemblance in the Craft Garden. Photo by Lotus Bermudez.

Read more about HCCC’s Artist Residency program and our current artists-in-residence.

From left to right: Clark Kellogg, What to Spell? (detail). 130 white oak blocks, steel shelving. 2011. Photo by Clark Kellogg. Kristi Rae Wilson, New Womens, Dress, Lolita, Sheer Layer, $29.50, 11675281, 110128. Re-used fabric, artist’s scrap sterling silver, 14K gold, thread. 2011. Photo by Kristi Rae Wilson. Lisa Wilson, Particle Wave No. II. Copper, patina, die formed, chased, fabricated. 2009. Photo by Jeff Sabo.

In Flying Rings, McAdams’ fanciful interpretations of finger rings appear to whiz, fly and zip their way up and down the high-tension cables she has installed in HCCC’s Artist Hall. Replete with feet, propellers and wheels, the Flying Rings are full of character, a fact noted in the titles of each piece (McAdams has given them human names such as Shauna, Tedd, Jeff and Marcos). Full of playful energy and brimming with the implication of movement, the rings appear like energetic teenagers or young adults—ready to burst into action, but not yet able to put their ambitious plans into effect. In this series, McAdams seems to have been influenced both by her own youth and her students at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she is in her fourth year as Assistant Professor of Art Metals/Jewelry.

In the Women Series, McAdams continues her exploration into the potential capabilities of different individuals and again shows the viewer her sense of humor. However, instead of the fictional characters she references in Flying Rings, her subjects are highly influential and controversial female pop-culture icons. Taking the form of historical match strikers, these works of copper, brass, steel, vitreous enamel, enamel paint, fine silver, and matches depict women who, in the artist’s words, have “a lot of potential to start fires.” Some of today’s most powerful celebrities, such as Angelina Jolie, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey, are immortalized in exquisite detail in the sculptures, which are both beautiful and amusing.

Lauren McAdams is Assistant Professor of Art Metals/Jewelry at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. She received her MFA from Arizona State University and her BFA from Murray State University in Murray, KY. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and has been published in two different volumes of Lark Books’ 500 Series: 500 Metal Vessels and 500 Wedding Rings. Visit McAdams’ blog at www.laurenmcadams.blogspot.com to learn more about the artist and her work.

Above, from left to right: Lauren McAdams, Leigh. Copper, brass, mokume gane. 2011. Photo by Lauren McAdams. Lauren McAdams, Action Figure (Angelina Jolie). Copper, brass, steel, vitreousenamel, enamel pain, fine silver, match. 2011. Photo by Lauren McAdams.

As part of our 10th Anniversary celebrations, we are asking our members, friends and visitors to help us turn colored origami papers into three-dimensional butterflies that commemorate special events and activities this fall. Look for tables set up in the small gallery or lobby, where you can sit down and learn this simple origami fold. We expect that, over the course of the project, the installation of your butterflies will grow to cover a complete display wall at HCCC.

The butterflies will have a second life during the Spring 2013 unveiling of I Never Saw Another Butterflyat The Holocaust Museum Houston. The Museum is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies in a visual remembrance of the 1.5 million children who perished during the Holocaust. When the rabble settles down at HCCC, we will contribute the butterflies made by all of you to this honorable project. So, come on over, get folding, and join us for this fantastic community project.

The Butterfly Project (detail). Photo by Kim Coffman.

Approximately 35 former artists-in-residence chose to participate in the exhibition, working with guest curator, Keelin Burrows, Windgate Charitable Foundation Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. For the show, the former residents were encouraged to create new work reflecting their current creative practices and body of work. Some artists created pieces that reflect upon their experiences as residents at HCCC and others present objects made in the past two years that are representative of their current method of making.

Crafting Live(s) features a wide variety of forms, including installation, sculpture, video, functional and nonfunctional objects. All of the craft media, including clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood and mixed media, are represented. Some of the themes that emerge in the show are cross-cultural exchange, gender and the body, nature and the built environment, and historical and cultural traditions revived. Works of particular note are Forked Tongue, an “in-the-round” installation of mixed media on paper by Anila Quayyum Agha; Abandoned, a site-specific installation by ceramic artist Jeff Forster; Runners-Up Presidential Plate Series by Darryl Lauster; new works in leather by jewelry artist Masumi Kataoka; and an installation by Tara Conley. Some of the other standouts in the show include pieces by Elaine Bradford, Gabriel Craig, Michael Crowder, Sharbani Das Gupta, Edward Lane McCartney, Thomas Perry, Pamela Sager, and Amy Weiks.

Above: Amy Weiks, Swarm. Wood, beads, waxed linen and walnut. Elaine Bradford, Golden Sparkle in His Eye. Mixed media. Tom Perry, Dotaku: Hinata/Sunshine. Clay. Photos by Jack Zilker.

Joan Son has worked in the medium of paper, based in the discipline of origami, since 1993, when she debuted her art in the windows of Tiffany & Co. However, her interest in origami began many years earlier, when she folded her first paper crane as a teenager. She has created numerous large-scale installations for public and private venues, as well as small works for museum shops, such as the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Her work has been exhibited in many Houston venues, including the C.G. Jung Center, the Chase Bank Lobby Gallery, Archway Gallery, the Williams Tower Gallery and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, where she was a participating artist in CraftTexas 2008. All of her works are crafted one at a time, using the finest Japanese and international papers. She is a member of Origami USA and attends their conventions in New York City, where she studies with origami masters from around the world.

In celebration of contemporary visual art in Texas, HCCC is participating in the 2011 Texas Biennial project by joining in with over 60 arts organizations across the state with this exhibition. The full list of participating organizations and further information on the project is available at www.texasbiennial.org.

Arline Fisch has been one of the most visible and influential forces in an international art jewelry movement that began in the 1940s. Artists and jewelers changed the definition of jewelry by questioning the importance of precious materials and traditional jewelry techniques. Fisch pioneered the application of textile techniques to sculptural work in metal that pushed the boundaries between jewelry and dress. Her integration of weaving, knitting, crocheting and braiding of metal into the creation of jewelry was a groundbreaking technique that has become standard among her contemporaries.

Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep is organized by the Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin. The exhibition is made possible by Racine Art Museum Premiere Sponsors: Karen Johnson Boyd and William B. Boyd; S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.; and Members of the RAM Society.

The Gold Standard is a series comprised of three parts. In Part I: Commodification and Sensible Economy, Gralnick casts recognizable commodities and objects in 18k gold and plaster. The amount of gold used on each piece represents the monetary value of the depicted object. Part II: Phenomenology and Substantialism was borne out of the artist’s need to recycle gold from discarded jewelry and objects she collected.

Gralnick “recorded” these objects before melting them down by casting them in plaster, leaving an eerie ghost of each object, sacrificed in order to fabricate a new creation. In Part III: Transubstantiation and the Historicized Object, the artist employs the recycled gold to create an ironic collection of objects with invented histories-genuine forgeries informed by her own history and her fascination with times past. With each section, the artist delves further into the unique aspects of value—both personal and societal.

Lisa Gralnick completed her BFA in 1977 from Kent State University and earned her MFA from State University of New York, New Paltz, with a focus on gold and silversmithing in 1980. She served as the head of the Metals Program at Parsons School of Design in New York City (1991 – 2001) before she accepted her current position as Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her work can be found in many permanent collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Renwick Gallery (Smithsonian Institution), Museum of Arts and Design (NY), Boston Museum of Fine Arts, American Craft Museum (NY), Racine Art Museum (WI), Mizuno College of Jewellery (Japan), and Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam).

Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard is organized by Bellevue Arts Museum and curated by Nora Atkinson. This exhibition has been made possible by The Rotasa Foundation, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and Art Jewelry Forum.