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Theory

Engage in high-level discussions about craft and its significance in the art world and our lives. Check out the resources on craft theory we’ve compiled to encourage ongoing and thoughtful engagement.

Craft Bibliography

Canadian Books:

The Allied Arts: Architecture and Craft in Postwar Canada, Dr. Sandra Alfoldy (2012)

Crafting Identity, Dr. Sandra Alfoldy (2005)

Made in Canada, Alan Elder (2005) disponible en français

The Persistence of Craft, Paul Greenhalgh (2003)

Canadian Craft and Museum Practice 1900-1950, Sandra Flood (2001)

The Art of Worship: The Vision and Craft of Contemporary Nova Scotian Artists: Wood, Fire, Clay, Cloth, Light and Colour, Kate Langan (2001)

In Good Hands: The Women of the Canadian Handicrafts, Ellen Easton McLeod (1999)

Studio Rally: Art and Craft of Nova Scotia, Robin Metcalfe (1999)

The Cutting Edge in Crafts, James Sheridan Strecker (1999)

A Fine Line: Studio Crafts in Ontario from 1930 to the Present, Gail Crawford (1998)

Made of Clay: Ceramics of British Columbia Vancouver: Potters Guild of British Columbia, Carol E Mayer (1998)

Transformation:Prix Saidye Bronfman Award 1977-1996 , Alan Elder, Sandra Flood & Stephen Inglis (1998)

Ornament and Object: Canadian Jewellery and Metal Art, Anne Barros (1997)

Focus One: Contemporary Studio Ceramics, Winnipeg Art Gallery (1997)

Modern Furniture in Canada 1920-1970, Virginia Wright (1997)

Making and Metaphor: A Discussion of Meaning in Contemporary Craft, Gloria Hickey (1994)

Masters of the Crafts: Recipients of the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in the Crafts 1977-1986 Canadian Museum of Civilization (1989)

Canadian Periodicals & Journals:

Studio Magazine

Cahiers métiers d’art : Craft Journal

Inuit Art Quarterly

Canadian Anthologies:

Naked Craft : Canada-Scotland / Métiers d’art mis à nu. Art Gallery of Burlington, et al. (2015)

The Modern Eye: Craft and Design in Canada, Allan Collier (2012)

Itinéraires : Rendez-vous en métiers d’art. Actes de Colloque, Cahiers métiers d’art : Caft Journal, (2010)

Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse – Volume 3, Paula Gustafson (2008)

Objets de Cultures : de la Nouvelle-France à aujourd’hui, Materia (2008)

Crafting New Traditions, Melanie Egan, Alan C. Elder and Jean Johnson (2008)

Neocraft: Modernity and the Crafts, Dr. Sandra Alfoldy (2007)

Ceramic Millennium: Critical Writings on Ceramic History, Theory, and Art, Dr. Garth Clark (2006)

Savoir re-faire la tradition / Re-crafting Tradition, Longchamps, Denis and Elaine Cheasley Paterson (2006)

Design in Canada, Rachel Gotlieb and Cora Golden (2005)

1955-2005, 50 ans de création au Salon des métiers d’art du Québec, Denis Longchamps (2005)

Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse – Volume 2, Paula Gustafson (2005)

Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse – Volume 1, Paula Gustafson (2002)

Exploring Contemporary Craft, Jean Johnson (2002)

Common Ground: Contemporary Craft, Architecture and the Decorative Arts, Canadian Museum of Civilization (1999)

Utopic Impulses: Contemporary Ceramics Practice, Edited by Ruth Chambers, Amy Gogarty, and Mireille Perron, Ronsdale Press, 2007.

More…

This important anthology marks a particular moment in ceramics practice in Canada. It includes essays on a variety of topics relevant to contemporary practice by writers who have remained committed to the field, including Leopold Foulem, Paul Mathieu, Nicole Burisch, and Susan Surette, as well as artist projects by Judy Chartrand, Jeannie Mah, Sing-Ying Ho, Therese Chabot and others.

International Periodicals & Journals:

UK:  Crafts Magazine

USA: American Craft

AUSTRALIA: Craft Arts International and Garland Magazine

International Books:

Critical Craft : Technology, Globalization and Capitalism, Claire M. Wilkinson-Weber and Alicia ory DeNicola (2016)

Sloppy Craft – Postdisciplinatiy and the Crafts, Elaine Cheasley Patersonn and Susan Surette (2015)

Nation Building: Craft and Contemporary American Culture, Nicholas R. Bell (2016)

Bauhaus Weaving Theory: From Feminine Craft to Mode of Design, Tai Smith (2014)

Collaboration through Craft, Amanda Ravetz, Alice Kettle and Helen Felcey (2013)

Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft, Peter Held and Heather Sealy Lineberry (2013)

The Invention of Craft, Glenn Adamson (2013)

Why We Make Things and Why It Matters, Peter Korn (2013)

Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective, Damian Skinner (2013)

The Craft Reader, Glenn Adamson (2010)

The Craftsman, Richard Sennett (2009)

Choosing Craft: The Artist’s Viewpoint, Vicki Halper and Diane Douglas (2009)

Thinking Through Craft, Glenn Adamson (2007)

Craft Unbound: Make the Common Precious, Kevin Murray (2005)

Blogs/Podcasts:

Critical Craft Forum

Musing about Mud

Tales of A Red Clay Rambler

Metalsmith Benchtalk

Do you have any books, journals, podcasts, or other craft resources to recommend? Use this form

Canadian Books:

The Allied Arts: Architecture and Craft in Postwar Canada, Dr. Sandra Alfoldy (2012)

Crafting Identity, Dr. Sandra Alfoldy (2005)

Made in Canada, Alan Elder (2005) disponible en français

The Persistence of Craft, Paul Greenhalgh (2003)

Canadian Craft and Museum Practice 1900-1950, Sandra Flood (2001)

The Art of Worship: The Vision and Craft of Contemporary Nova Scotian Artists: Wood, Fire, Clay, Cloth, Light and Colour, Kate Langan (2001)

In Good Hands: The Women of the Canadian Handicrafts, Ellen Easton McLeod (1999)

Studio Rally: Art and Craft of Nova Scotia, Robin Metcalfe (1999)

The Cutting Edge in Crafts, James Sheridan Strecker (1999)

A Fine Line: Studio Crafts in Ontario from 1930 to the Present, Gail Crawford (1998)

Made of Clay: Ceramics of British Columbia Vancouver: Potters Guild of British Columbia, Carol E Mayer (1998)

Transformation:Prix Saidye Bronfman Award 1977-1996 , Alan Elder, Sandra Flood & Stephen Inglis (1998)

Ornament and Object: Canadian Jewellery and Metal Art, Anne Barros (1997)

Focus One: Contemporary Studio Ceramics, Winnipeg Art Gallery (1997)

Modern Furniture in Canada 1920-1970, Virginia Wright (1997)

Making and Metaphor: A Discussion of Meaning in Contemporary Craft, Gloria Hickey (1994)

Masters of the Crafts: Recipients of the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in the Crafts 1977-1986 Canadian Museum of Civilization (1989)

Canadian Periodicals & Journals:

Studio Magazine

Cahiers métiers d’art : Craft Journal

Inuit Art Quarterly

Canadian Anthologies:

Naked Craft : Canada-Scotland / Métiers d’art mis à nu. Art Gallery of Burlington, et al. (2015)

The Modern Eye: Craft and Design in Canada, Allan Collier (2012)

Itinéraires : Rendez-vous en métiers d’art. Actes de Colloque, Cahiers métiers d’art : Caft Journal, (2010)

Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse – Volume 3, Paula Gustafson (2008)

Objets de Cultures : de la Nouvelle-France à aujourd’hui, Materia (2008)

Crafting New Traditions, Melanie Egan, Alan C. Elder and Jean Johnson (2008)

Neocraft: Modernity and the Crafts, Dr. Sandra Alfoldy (2007)

Ceramic Millennium: Critical Writings on Ceramic History, Theory, and Art, Dr. Garth Clark (2006)

Savoir re-faire la tradition / Re-crafting Tradition, Longchamps, Denis and Elaine Cheasley Paterson (2006)

Design in Canada, Rachel Gotlieb and Cora Golden (2005)

1955-2005, 50 ans de création au Salon des métiers d’art du Québec, Denis Longchamps (2005)

Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse – Volume 2, Paula Gustafson (2005)

Craft Perception and Practice: A Canadian Discourse – Volume 1, Paula Gustafson (2002)

Exploring Contemporary Craft, Jean Johnson (2002)

Common Ground: Contemporary Craft, Architecture and the Decorative Arts, Canadian Museum of Civilization (1999)

Utopic Impulses: Contemporary Ceramics Practice, Edited by Ruth Chambers, Amy Gogarty, and Mireille Perron, Ronsdale Press, 2007.

More…

This important anthology marks a particular moment in ceramics practice in Canada. It includes essays on a variety of topics relevant to contemporary practice by writers who have remained committed to the field, including Leopold Foulem, Paul Mathieu, Nicole Burisch, and Susan Surette, as well as artist projects by Judy Chartrand, Jeannie Mah, Sing-Ying Ho, Therese Chabot and others.

International Periodicals & Journals:

UK:  Crafts Magazine

USA: American Craft

AUSTRALIA: Craft Arts International and Garland Magazine

International Books:

Critical Craft : Technology, Globalization and Capitalism, Claire M. Wilkinson-Weber and Alicia ory DeNicola (2016)

Sloppy Craft – Postdisciplinatiy and the Crafts, Elaine Cheasley Patersonn and Susan Surette (2015)

Nation Building: Craft and Contemporary American Culture, Nicholas R. Bell (2016)

Bauhaus Weaving Theory: From Feminine Craft to Mode of Design, Tai Smith (2014)

Collaboration through Craft, Amanda Ravetz, Alice Kettle and Helen Felcey (2013)

Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft, Peter Held and Heather Sealy Lineberry (2013)

The Invention of Craft, Glenn Adamson (2013)

Why We Make Things and Why It Matters, Peter Korn (2013)

Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective, Damian Skinner (2013)

The Craft Reader, Glenn Adamson (2010)

The Craftsman, Richard Sennett (2009)

Choosing Craft: The Artist’s Viewpoint, Vicki Halper and Diane Douglas (2009)

Thinking Through Craft, Glenn Adamson (2007)

Craft Unbound: Make the Common Precious, Kevin Murray (2005)

Blogs/Podcasts:

Critical Craft Forum

Musing about Mud

Tales of A Red Clay Rambler

Metalsmith Benchtalk

Do you have any books, journals, podcasts, or other craft resources to recommend? Use this form