PHILADELPHIA, September 2002 -- Each Fall, thousands of visitors from around the region make a pilgrimage to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. These aficionados of the handmade and the unique come to the juried, nationally-recognized show in search of just the right piece to bring extra artistic punch to their surroundings. But they needn’t limit their crafty experiences to one November weekend.

Hundreds of craftspeople and galleries call the city and its outlying areas home, and make their wares available every day of the year. No matter when they visit, craft collectors can choose from an eclectic array of one-of-a-kind wood, metal, glass, fabric, furniture and ceramic works for viewing and for purchasing.

At Old City’s Wood Turning Center, for example, a colorful bunch of Noah’s Ark animals, handmade in East Germany by a process known as hoop or ring turning, make great gifts for use as ornaments or toys. The animals range in price from $2 to $500. "Wood turning is a unique art form, that’s relatively new on the scene--it blossomed into an art form starting in the 1930s," says Albert LeCoff, the Center’s founder and executive director. " Wood turners are primarily self-taught," he adds, "and their work can range from the folk forms of Ark animals to sculptural objects that exhibit real beauty and technical virtuosity."

Those interested in discovering more about another craft medium – glass – might get fired up by a visit to the Old City gallery and studio, Hot Soup. "For collectors, spending some time in the space and watching artists actually create work can really add to their understanding of the process and craft," says gallery manager Rebecca Britt. Works on sale here include a popular studio-created series of ornaments; a series of bag-shaped vases that duplicate the intricate folds of cloth and come in glowing hues of aqua, rose, amber and grass green; and the heavy textured bowls of Rob Scavuzo which mimic wood burl.

At the Clay Studio – also in Old City – it’s ceramics that take center stage, with a full regimen of courses, exhibits and books on hand to further appreciation of the art form. And at the Fabric Workshop, near the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the emphasis is on training Philadelphia’s youth in the fine art and industrial skill of silk-screen printing on fabric. For curious collectors, this school and studio also offers an enticing gift shop.

The permanent collection includes folk art, costumes and textiles by African Americans while changing exhibitions bring in works from the Smithsonian highlighting African American cultural history.

Dedicated to the preservation of Buck’s County’s artistic legacy, the museum is home to the serene and endlessly popular Nakashima Reading Room, an installation of furniture by George Nakashima in a space designed by his daughter, Mira Nakashima-Yarnall.

Crafts on view here include Philadelphia furniture and silver, Tucker porcelain, the Lorimer glass collection and the Geesey collection of Pennsylvania German folk art. The museum’s Art Sales and Rental Gallery features original crafts and fine arts.

Woodworker Wharton Esherick (1887-1970) bridged the gap between art and craft, creating furniture, furnishings and interiors that continue to inspire craftspeople today. This National Historic Landmark house, where he lived and worked, holds more than 200 of his works.

Founded in 1974 as an artists' collective, the Clay Studio is now one of the nation’s leading ceramic art centers dedicated to promoting the ceramic arts through its gallery, school and studio.

Philadelphia’s only public-access glassblowing studio offers gallery-live demonstrations, classes and workshops. Walk-ins are welcome to browse through the gallery, enjoy a demonstration, or watch an artist bring a piece from conception to completion.

George Nakashima Woodworkers, 1847 Aquetong Road, New Hope, (215) 862-2272

"A tree is perhaps our most intimate contact with nature," wrote George Nakashima, woodworker extraordinaire. An architect by training, Nakashima turned to designing boldly articulated wood pieces with the natural profile of timber known as the "free edge."

Founded in 1977, The Fabric Workshop and Museum is the only museum in the country devoted to traditional and experimental fabric as a material for creating new art.

This 25-year-old nonprofit organization works to further the growth and awareness of lathe turning through exhibitions and conferences, a residency program, a comprehensive resource library and a permanent collection of 500 objects.

• American Pie, Two locations: 327 South Street, (215) 922-2226;
  4303 Main Street, Manayunk, (215) 487-0226

• Eye’s Gallery, 402 South Street, (215) 925-0193
• Gallery 500, Church & York Roads, Elkins Park, (215) 572-1203
• Helen Drutt Gallery, 1721 Walnut Street, (215) 735-1625
• Indigo Arts, 151 N. 3^rd Street, (215) 922-4041
• Langman Gallery, Willow Grove Park Mall, Willow Grove, (215) 657-8333
• Rosenfeld Gallery, 113 Arch Street, 215) 922-1376
• Snyderman/The Works Gallery, 303 Cherry Street, (215) 238-9576
• Touches, 225 S. 15^th Street, (215) 546-1221

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September 2002