The Art of Crafts

The Fuller Craft Museum in Massachusetts is a collection of some of the finest crafts from all over. There, photography, sculpture, quilting, jewelry making and much more are displayed with equal consideration. One room may have paintings, and next to it will be hand woven baskets. Each room has pedestals, velvet ropes, directional lighting and plaque cards. It begins to make you wonder what, if any, is the difference between art and craft.

Through out my life I have been taught there is Art and there is Craft. A craft is a item or skill of some functional use. Art is a higher form of expression that exists for the sake of statement or beauty. After years of producing "Art" and "Crafts" I have discovered that these popular definitions are inadequate and misleading. Art can easily have function beyond beauty and statement and a craft can be enjoyed for nothing more than it's aesthetic value.

Any artist can tell you that there is a lot of skill that goes into art. All artist rely on techniques that are refined through experience and learning, this is the literal dictionary definition of a craft. At the same time crafters will strive to make their products beautiful and personal, just like art.

One way to think of the problem with these definitions is to ask, is cross stitching an art or a craft? Most people would automatically say craft. When looking for supplies you can't go to a fine arts store and expect to buy needle and thread. However, it seems to exist for the sole reason of being pretty or making a statement. Cross stitching is only used for decoration and therefore has little in common with the craft distinction. On the other hand there are functional sculptures that make a statement, are beautiful and have at least one purpose beyond that.

The philosopher John Dewy argues that the development of experiences is art, not merely the object created. When viewed in this way art is more about the creative process than the finished product. When you limit your definitions limit your experience. By separating art from craft you lose the ability to appreciate an experience fully.