Critic's Corner

A Boston “diaspora” spread the gospel of the Useful and the Beautiful throughout America at the turn of the 20th century. Beverly K. Brandt, author of The Craftsman and the Critic, explains how it all happened.

A spirited project galvanized potters and clay enthusiasts and may have contributed to electing a president. Sarah Archer takes us inside the Obamaware Project and places its campaign in the historical context of politically charged ceramics.

The Canadian scholar Sandra Alfoldy, coeditor of a recent book, explores the interrelationship of craft and architectural spaces, particularly as it relates to interior design.

Edward Lebow contends that public works at their best have enabled artists to alter the experience and function of common spaces, but that lack of training has limited the talent pool needed to build upon these achievements.

Ezra Shales argues that ceramists (and art schools) should reconsider the legacy of the factory and lose the stereotype of industry as alienation.