North Auditorium Gallery, Ground Floor
Main Building
Selections from the museum’s American contemporary craft collection are showcased in this exhibition of ceramics, glass, fiber, metalwork, wood, and furniture pieces by both locally and nationally known artists. The exhibition explores the richness of the collection, from the translucent porcelain Light Gatherers of Rudolf Staffel to the most recent work of local ceramist George Johnson, and from the intense fiber sculpture of Sheila Hicks to the profound fabric constructions of Michael Olszewski. Also included are Joyce Scott’s beaded statements and Richard Marquis's colorful glasswork.
In conjunction with this exhibit, a new publication, Crafting a Legacy: Contemporary American Crafts in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, commemorates twenty-five years of collecting craft at the museum, as well as the role of The Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, whose support has been pivotal in building the collections. Since 1977 The Women’s Committee has promoted craft in the community with the nationally recognized annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, November 7–10, 2002.