Show and Tell in Baltimore

Today marked the first day of the American Craft Council's Baltimore Show -three public days dedicated to craft-based art. For the past 33 years, this enormous show has been humming along at the city's convention center, engaging an enthusiastic crowd with a cornucopia of talent from across the country. I arrived prior to show time and despite dire pronouncements about the economy, an eager crowd had already gathered to see their favorites, lift their spirits and get first dibs on the goods. At a sauntering pace, three days might be enough to explore every jam-packed, well-organized aisle of objects, but with a dash of scurry I kept my eyes peeled for standouts. Here are some of my favorites (so far).

Lynn Yarrington (Booth 300) has been making hand woven wearables in a wide spectrum of colors and fabrics, including silk, cotton, rayon and bamboo, for 30 years now. She likes the bamboo for its "great drape" and incorporates this renewable fiber into her scarves, capelets and a paneled vest, sumptuously lined in silk, that's based on a Tibetan design. However, it was her swing jacket in violet, orange and a color she calls "garden," a yellowish-green akin to chartreuse, which first caught my eye.

There was also a steady stream of attention to Arlene Wohl's hand woven wearables (Booth 400), in a luscious mix of fabrics and vibrant color. Her uncluttered shapes are timeless yet contemporary.

Jeung-Hwa Park (Booth 105) transforms knitting into an art form with her felted scarves, each individually dyed and undulating with soft wavy edges like ripples in a stream.

Chock full of delicious color, the pieces of Danielle Gori-Montanelli's flamboyant, multilayered wool felt jewelry (Booth 502) are joined together with strong threads and embroidery flosses. A gal with great hand strength, her collection includes collars, flowers, hairpieces, brooches, earrings and necklaces, including an allsorts licorice necklace-a very sweet treat for both eye and body!

Traveling her wares all the way from Hawaii, Cindy Luna (Booth 1612) uses stainless steel, some brass and copper, all kinds of beads and natural fibers-vines and palm sheath from the Big Island-when weaving her baskets, bowls and balls. At turns serene and wild, sculptural and functional, her work has been collected by an eclectic group of fans-including Michael Jordan, Caroline Kennedy and Metallica.

A new exhibitor at the show, Michael R. Hughes (Booth 2006), makes modern porcelain and stoneware for the home. Each unique piece has clean, precise lines and is safe for food, microwave and dishwasher. When he showed me a two-year old much used cup unblemished by stains I couldn't help comparing it to my favorite mug at home, now marked for life.

Show me the beads could be Valerie Hector's mantra (Booth 304) and she's a master at crafting them into some of the most dramatic jewelry around. Mostly new, some old, Hector employs beads of sterling silver, glass and a potpourri of others into her stylish designs. Hector now "feels the need to go beyond aesthetics" and has created her first piece "with overt content," a pendant of sterling silver with old Czech glass that references the destruction of the fourth century Buddha of Barman. Punctuated with six small openings, five house a miniature Buddha while the sixth remains empty and open for interpretation or perhaps another divine spirit.

Pablo Soto's glass designs (Booth 1205) draw upon the vessel for their foundation. Not surprisingly, since Soto's parents are both potters as are his grandmother and godfather. From this base the vocabulary of his work expands into sculptural, often playful forms. Lately, Soto has ventured into new territory with his ultra contemporary, whimsical and sleek glass lighting pieces-"Spy Pendants," "Space-Mice Pendants" and “Buoy Bubble Lamps.” As classy as they are fun, I was captivated by his "Side Car Vases," large soft-hued vases with smaller ones attached, a sort of mother and child reunion.

What can I say about Peter Czuk's furniture (Booth 1415)? Hand crafted in wood, metal and glass, every piece is stunning and innovative. Each tier of his Artemus shelving units, one of rosewood and maple, another made from bloodwood, burl and sycamore, is easily adjustable with a quick release jam lock. His striking, inviting benches are a sight for sore feet. Smart and flexible, I loved Czuk's clocks as they attest to the passage of time standing either horizontally or vertically, the clock face adjusted by a simple turn by the hand.

Some of the most spectacular work on display comes à la this year's Searchlight Artists (at the end of aisle 1000), a group of 13 young visionaries selected from a pool of 100 applicants. With pioneering spirits and a double dose of brilliance these rising talents offer edgy, inspired designs, keeping things fresh and interesting. Keep an eye out for more postings on the work of this group of emerging makers.

Heads up for now but also expect more news on the School-to-Market artists-invited students of Virginia Commonwealth University and Savannah College of Art and Design who are striving to bridge the gap between academia and the marketplace. Without a doubt, the next generation of makers will continue to capture and keep alive the spirit of the handmade.

That's today's wrap. Hope you'll visit us again tomorrow for more buzz, or better yet, if you're in the Baltimore-D.C. metro area, stop by and see for yourself! And if you were at the show, let us know what grabbed your attention. We'd love to know!