If you’re anywhere near North Adams, Massachusetts on September 29, head on over to the Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival.

The press release says :

North Adams, MA - The Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival takes place on Saturday, September 29th from 10:00 - 3:00 pm on the sidewalk of the north side of Main Street, featuring the work of nearly two dozen crafters, artists and artisans.

Photographs, handcrafted jewelry, ceramics and more will be available for sale. Local craft and artisan shops will also be represented and food will be available. All work is handmade by the artist/crafter and of good quality. There are still a few slots available, but this popular event will be closed to registration soon.

Call Sharon Leary at 413-664.5404 or Rod Bunt at 413-664-6180.

Anyone who knows about crafts will be familiar with the famous Arts and Crafts Movement of 19th-century England founded by William Morris, John Ruskin and others.

However, the Birmingham Craftsman’s Club is not so well known. The Craftsman’s Club was inspired by the ideals of Ruskin and William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. Robert Catterson Smith believed that in the age of the machine, craftsmanship had become devoid of human feeling and stated “The business of craftsmanship is to express emotion.”

The Craftsman’s Club was a movement founded in 1902 with the object of establishing a high standard of craftsmanship in Birmingham. It was founded by Catterson-Smith, then Principal of the Birmingham School of Art.

Only men could be members, unfortunately, and they had to be established practising artists or craftsmen. Crafts included were :

Painters
Jewellers
Goldsmiths
Silversmiths
Sculptors
Architects
Draughtsmen

The Club was relatively small, with 21 subscriptions in the first year, growing to 50 members in its later years. Several members of staff from the Birmingham School of Art were active members of the Club. At the monthly meetings, one of the members would present a paper illustrated with photographs or lantern slides. The Club held annual exhibitions and also arranged summer trips.

In those days, crafts were taken very seriously and were usually based around professionals rather than amateurs and hobbyists, as today.

Crafters everywhere love a good craft fair. One of the best is Origin - the London Craft Fair, which is based in one of the UK capital’s finest old buildings, Somerset House.

Origin replaces The Chelsea Crafts Fair, which the Crafts Council ran for 26 years as Europe’s leading craft event. Here’s how the organizers describe it :

“The Crafts Council launched Origin: The London Craft Fair in October 2006. The event brings together over 300 of the most innovative and influential international designer-makers and is a rare opportunity to meet these makers and buy their work. Objects on show range from fashion accessories to functional and decorative objects, with the opportunity to commission one-off works of contemporary craft. Glass, ceramics, jewellery, metal, furniture, paper, basketry, wood and textiles are all represented, making the fair a true celebration of the unique and the hand-made. Origin takes place annually in Ben Kelly’s specially designed pavilion in the Somerset House courtyard.”

Exhibition Information
Week One: Tues 2 October - Sun 7 October 2007, Week Two: Tues 9 October - Sun 14 October 2007

If you missed Origin 2006 you can still view the list of Exhibitors 2006 or contact us to purchase the catalogue for £6 plus P&P.

Exhibitor application packs for this year’s Origin can be downloaded from Apply for Origin 2007.

Origin enquiries - Email: origin@craftscouncil.org.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7806 2512
Press enquiries - Email: media@craftscouncil.org.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7806 2580

There’s a special offer on that interesting paper magazine for crafts: Crafts — The Magazine for Contemporary Crafts.

For a limited time only new subscribers receive an extra issue free.

Here’s how the magazine describes itself: “Crafts is the only British magazine to cover all craft forms, from studio work to public commissions, from modern experimental work to traditional and historic designs. It is committed to excellent quality in both the work it covers and the coverage itself. Published on alternate months, Crafts is lavishly illustrated to a high standard.”

Take a look at the current issue.