Craft in America: Season Two

The PBS-aired Craft in America series devoted its two-episode 2009 second season to a pair of themes: origins (where do craft traditions come from?) and process (why do people become craft artists, and how do they work?). “Origins” begins and ends at Jugtown Pottery in Seagrove, NC, where young Travis Owens is the fourth generation member of his family to pursue the trade. In between the film moves to Santa Fe, NM, to profile a bead crafter; to Mantua, NJ, to show a glass artist working in what is known as the South Jersey tradition; to Palm Springs, CA, to visit a weaver; and to Charleston, SC, to see the work of iconic blacksmith Philip Simmons. “Process” visits dedicated individuals involved in jewelry making, wood printing, bookmaking, and ceramics, with a focus on two ateliers—the 92nd Street Y in New York and the North Bennet Street School in Boston, where new generations of artisans work in everything from silversmithing to violin making. Well-made, crisply edited, and information-rich in the PBS tradition, these episodes look behind the finished products to explore what motivates craftspeople, who talk about the call to create, the spiritual aspect of handwork, and the irresistible mystery of not knowing what the outcome will be until a piece is completed. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)