Philadelphia Museum of Art - Information : Press Room : Press Releases : 1997

May 20th, 1997

1997 Craft Show

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show will mark its 21st year as the nation's premier show of contemporary craft from Thursday, November 6, through Sunday, November 9, 1997. Held in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Craft Show is juried by the most distinguished experts in the various fields of craft art. This year's jurors include; Katie Gingrass, Owner, Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Lloyd Herman, Director Emeritus of the Renwick Gallery and independent curator, Seattle, Washington; Bruce W. Pepich, Director, Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, Wisconsin; Paula Winokur, Professor of Ceramics, Beaver College, Glenside, Pennsylvania; and Darrel Sewell, Curator of American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The panel of jurors selected 195 craft artists from over 1,550 applicants. Craft categories included in the 1997 Craft Show are: basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, wearable fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper and wood.

Living with Crafts, a special exhibition that debuted during the 1995 Craft Show and which focuses on the use and display of contemporary craft art in the home, will return this year. All items on view in Living with Crafts are created by exhibitors featured in the 1997 Craft Show and will be available for sale.

Hours for the Craft Show are: Thursday, November 6 and Friday, November 7, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. General admission is $10.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under 12. Group admission can be arranged for groups of 10 or more by calling the Craft Show office. For general Craft Show information, group admission information, please call the Craft Show Office at (215) 684-7931. The Pennsylvania Convention Center, the site of the Craft Show, is located at 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia.

A special preview party for the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show will be held on Wednesday, November 5, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; call (215) 684-7931 for tickets. The Craft Show is presented by The Women's Committee and Craft Show Committee for the benefit of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is the largest single fundraising event for the Museum and has raised a total of over $4 million over the last 20 years. The funds raised are used to purchase works of art and craft for the Museum's permanent collections, fund conservation and publication projects, and support exhibitions and education programs. Proceeds from the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show have also endowed a curatorship and have helped to make possible special undertakings such as the recently completed reinstallation of the Museum's European collections. The 21st annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show is organized and coordinated by Veronica M. Connor, Chair; Ellen B. Simon, Vice-Chair; and Nancy C. O'Meara, Show Manager.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest museums in the United States, with a collection of more than 227,000 works of art and more than 200 galleries presenting painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, decorative arts, textiles, and architectural settings from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Its facilities include its landmark Main Building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Perelman Building, located nearby on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Rodin Museum on the 2200 block of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and two 18th-century houses in Fairmount Park, Mount Pleasant and Cedar Grove. The Museum offers a wide variety of activities for public audiences, including special exhibitions, programs for children and families, lectures, concerts and films.

For additional information, contact the Marketing and Communications Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215) 684-7860. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. For general information, call (215) 763-8100, or visit the Museum's website at www.philamuseum.org.