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Items and artifacts, including textiles, blown-glass and hand-crafted jewelry, are just a few of the items that will be featured as part of the exhibition, "Handcrafted: Artisans Past & Present."
“Many local artists are inspired by techniques and materials of the past, with aesthetics that draw on a wide range of influences, blurring traditional boundaries separating craft from fine art,” said Tanya Pohrt, Interim Curator of Exhibitions.
“In displaying contemporary craft alongside historic decorative arts objects, we see both commonalities and differences."
Working artisans participating in "Handcrafted" include Fairfielder Michael Michaud and Fairfield native Marnie Smith.
Michaud studied under several master jewelers and metal casters and was trained at RIT’s School for American Craftsmen. His botanical jewelry combines an exceptional knowledge of jewelry-making with a love of nature.
Smith creates 17th-century textiles for Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass., and is a recent graduate of the Artisanry program at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, with a focus on textile design and fiber arts.
Other exhibiting local artisans include textile artist Ruben Marroquin of Bridgeport, weaver Patricia Burling of Monroe, woodworker Thomas Throop of New Canaan, glass-blower Dylan Cotton who runs Hotspot Glass Studio in Fairfield, basket weaver Kari Lonning of Ridgefield, quilt-maker Denyse Schmidt of Bridgeport, ceramist Frances Palmer of Weston and woodworker Edward Pirnik-Mauriz of Fairfield.
The exhibition will be opening with a gala preview party on Oct 24. Tickets are still available for “An Artisan Evening” by calling 203-259-1598 or online at http://an-artisan-evening.eventbrite.com.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Fairfield Museum will be holding a “Museum After Dark” event, Modern Design: Collecting from the Jazz Age to the Space Age on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event will feature a lecture by John Stuart Gordon of Yale University. The event is free for members, $5 for non-members.
The Museum will also offer a family program on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m., "Giving Thanks with Handmade."
Attendees will create handmade crafts inspired by Native American culture, including corn husk dolls, and will be able to submit favorite Thanksgiving traditions on the Museum’s Thankful Wall. Free with admission.
The museum is at 370 Beach Road and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for students and seniors. Members of the museum and children under 5 are free. For more information, call 203-259-1598 or visit Fairfieldhistory.org.
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