Masters of Craft

This collection of 240 photographs depicts 224 of the twentieth century’s top studio craft artists and designers working in fiber, clay, glass, metal, and wood. The photographs are by Paul J. Smith, Director Emeritus of the Museum of Arts and Design. Drawing on Smith’s career of over fifty years as an arts administrator and curator, this book records his extensive interest in meeting art­ists in their studios, as well as at con­fer­ences and national and international events. By reflecting his firsthand experience of the changing currents in twentieth-century craft, these images form a uniquely personal record that captures an important aspect of the history of the studio craft movement. Taken over a thirty-year period, these pho­to­graphs portray both the diversity and common threads of the craft movement, illustrating a community that shares knowl­edge, friendships, and a passion for the handmade object.