Fashion

Day two and after a dose of rest I hurried back to the convention center, thanks in part to a stiff wind carrying me along, for another look at the fantastic work on display at the American Craft Council's show. After 33 years, word gets around and once again, the crowds showed up, keen to see more high-end craft. The weekend seemed to draw more people so it was a bit of a challenge to navigate through the aisles but the anticipation of meeting and speaking with the artists spurred me on.

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.

Natalie Chanin, founder of Alabama Chanin, discusses her new collection as she prepares to pack up after a hectic New York Fashion Week and head home for the hopefully warmer southern climes. If volume is an issue with your built in speakers, try headphones-they work like a gem. Enjoy!

If you happen to find yourself in lower Manhattan these days and seeking distraction from the relentless Wall Street woes, you might want to duck into the National Museum of the American Indian…

At the recent American Craft Show in San Francisco the American Craft Council presented its Awards of Excellence to a select few artists. Chosen from among 250 exhibitors by guest jurors Ted Cohen, an exhibition designer, Mike Holmes, co-owner of Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco and Julie M. Muniz, the Imogene Gieling Curator of Decorative Arts at the Oakland Museum of California, the recipients are representative of the vibrant American craft scene.