This November, CraftNOW Philadelphia celebrates the city’s vibrant craft community and history as a center for fine craft with a series of events and exhibitions during the annual CraftMONTH. Throughout the month, Philadelphians and tourists can immerse themselves in one of the nation’s leading craft communities, explore exhibitions on display across the city’s galleries and museums, and participate in family-friendly programming. CraftNOW’s 2024 theme, Connectivity, is inspired by trending topics in the national craft community and exhibitions presented by its partners during November and explores family, community, and how craft connects the public in an increasingly divided world.
CraftNOW was founded in 2015 by a consortium of individuals, galleries, museums, universities, retailers, and civic organizations. Each November, CraftNOW unites leading institutions to host a widespread and diverse celebration of the region’s rich legacy and its important role as an incubator for arts based in wood, clay, fiber, metal, and glass. In 2017, the City of Philadelphia proclaimed November “CraftMONTH” in recognition of CraftNOW’s efforts and its celebrated, accomplished, and diverse arts scene. The organization is led by Executive Director Emily Edelstein, who looks to maintain the organization’s mission to inspire engagement and appreciation for Philadelphia’s craft community.
“I am so excited for my second CraftMONTH as Executive Director, ” said Edelstein. “This year’s theme, Connectivity, invites our audiences to consider the many ways craft unites our communities, drives economic growth, and serves as a vehicle for neighborhood development and social change. We hope CraftMONTH inspires the public to visit their local gallery and museums as well as engage with leading craft experts featured at this year’s free annual CraftNOW symposium.”
On Thursday, November 7, CraftNOW’s free annual symposium – a signature event of Philadelphia’s CraftMONTH – is hosted in person at the Moore College of Art & Design. The program is also available to stream, allowing national and international audiences to participate virtually. CraftNOW’s symposium provides a platform for critical discourse in contemporary craft to explore the 2024 theme, Connectivity, featuring artists and experts from regional and national craft communities. During the event, participants hear how individual makers, artists, and scholars first connected to craft and how it has shaped their lives. The CraftNOW Symposium also looks into how the world of craft connects to other practices and communities, including design, media, science, and public health.
CraftNOW’s Connectivity Symposium begins with a keynote address on the Philadelphia Cultural Ecosystem by Patricia Wilson Aden, President & CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (GPCA). The GPCA leads, strengthens, and amplifies the voices of over 400 member organizations that make up the Philadelphia region’s cultural community. Aden has been an unwavering advocate for the arts and culture sector, with over 40 years of experience leading non-profit and cultural institutions. She most recently served as President of The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee, and as President & CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia. In addition to GCPA, she currently serves on the board of PA Humanities and is the Vice Chair of the Friends of Cooch’s Bridge in Newark, Delaware.
The symposium features presentations and lectures from partner organizations, craft leaders, and experts on several topics relating to this year’s theme of Connectivity. In the panel discussion, AI and Advanced Technology in Craft: Tool or Takeover?, Temple University Professors Doug Bucci and Andrew John Wit explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the craft community.
The symposium also features a presentation from Dr. Tariem Burroughs, Executive Director for External Partnerships at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, and Cindy Ngo, Student Engagement and Events Coordinator at Drexel University, detailing his research on the CraftNOW Create Summer Camp program and the importance of craft and creative education in childhood development.
The afternoon continues with What has Craft Reality TV Done for You?, a discussion featuring former craft reality television contestants Alexander Rosenberg and Gemma Hollister from Netflix’s Blown Away and Mark Sperry from History Channel’s Forged in Fire, moderated by Joseph Marsini, Professor of Television and Media at Drexel University. Additionally, the symposium includes shorter talks by emerging scholars selected from CraftNOW’s recent call for papers, who will be announced at a later date.
In addition to its website, craft enthusiasts can find the latest CraftMONTH engagements on Let’s Rallie, a mobile app that provides users with an up-to-date list of local events. Philadelphians and craft tourists can download the app to their Apple or Android phones and follow along with the latest exhibition openings and special events hosted by CraftNOW and its partners.
2024 CraftMONTH Event Highlights – Click HERE for a complete list of events and exhibitions.
CraftMONTH Exhibitions | November 2024
Location: Various
Cost: Prices vary
CraftNOW works with over 25 regional partners to showcase exhibitions connected to the theme of Connectivity. Throughout November, various exhibition spaces across Philadelphia present the most honored and innovative artists working today in wood, clay fiber, metal, and glass. Each year, CraftNOW highlights exhibits in museums, galleries, and other spaces, showcasing Philadelphia as an urban destination for craft and making.
Craft enthusiasts can look forward to new exhibitions from CraftNOW partners, including The Clay Studio, Da Vinci Art Alliance, The Fabric Workshop + Museum, The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design, Gravers Lane Gallery, InLiquid, Museum for Art in Wood, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, Wayne Art Center, and Wharton Esherick Museum.
Learn more by visiting: http://www.craftnowphila.org/exhibitioncurrent/
CraftNOW Create | Saturday, November 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Smith Memorial Playground (3500 Reservoir Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19121) Cost: Free
CraftNOW hosts CraftNOW Create, a daylong, family-friendly event at the Smith Memorial Playground. The free experience for elementary-age students provides hands-on demonstrations with step-by-step instructions on how to create seven unique and delightful craft projects.
This year’s event features craft projects from the Asian Arts Initiative, The Clay Studio, Museum for Art in Wood, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, and the American Swedish Historical Museum. CraftNOW Create is funded by the Joseph Robert Foundation.
CraftNOW Connectivity Symposium | Thursday, November 7, from 9:30 to 4 p.m. Location: Moore College of Art & Design (1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)
CraftNOW hosts its annual symposium, a signature event of Philadelphia’s CraftMONTH, at the Moore College of Art & Design. The program provides a platform for critical discourse in contemporary craft to explore the 2024 theme of Connectivity, featuring artists and experts from regional and national craft communities.
The program begins with registration and coffee at 9:30 a.m., with presentations and panel discussions running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Following the keynote address from GPCA’s President & CEO Patricia Wilson Aden, guests can join CraftNOW and featured speakers for a Happy Hour mixer event in the Moore Gallery, where attendees can view its latest exhibition and network. To learn more about how to register to participate in the symposium and view a complete itinerary, please visit the CraftNOW website.
The CraftNOW Connectivity Symposium is sponsored by Clara and Ben Hollander, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and many other dedicated members of the community.
The 48th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show | Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17; times vary by day.
Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center (1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107) Cost: Prices vary
This premier show and sale of contemporary craft and design includes 195 of the finest and most dynamic craft artists in the United States, plus 24 guest artists from Italy. All work is for sale, and the artists receive 100% of their sale proceeds. The 2024 PMA Craft Show is held in-person at the Philadelphia Convention Center and begins with a Preview Party on Thursday, November 14.
Learn more by visiting: http://www.pmacraftshow.org
Craft Forms | Saturday, December 7
Location: Wayne Art Center (413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA, 19087)
Cost: Prices vary
CraftNOW closes CraftMONTH with the Wayne Art Center’s annual exhibition, Craft Forms: An International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Craft. The 29th annual exhibition returns in December and will be juried by Jo Lauria, a Los Angeles-based curator, author, and educator.
Learn more by visiting: http://www.craftforms.org
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