As a curator at PEM, I have been involved in exhibitions, publications and collections projects that have featured a variety of handmade American artworks. From a pair of child’s sailor pants to a woven eel trap, PEM’s galleries are filled with things made by countless skilled, and sometimes unknown, hands. Handcrafted objects can be found throughout our collection areas: jewelry, historic and contemporary fashion, samplers and needlework, quilts and coverlets and decorative arts such as ceramics and furniture. I find researching artists and makers and the historical and artistic context of artworks, and exploring their expressiveness and relevance for today’s museum audiences, a particularly exciting aspect of my curatorial work.  

While I have been interested in handcrafts for a long time, I confess I am not currently a practitioner.  I grew up in a family where my parents and relatives were regularly making things in wood and textiles; they were also educators in public schools. I received basic instructions in several techniques – sewing, knitting and embroidery. My memories of these experiences include the pungent scents of sawdust and wool and the feel of thread and yarn running through my hands. As an adult, I have also enjoyed visiting New England’s regional craft festivals, such as the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s summer festival and Massachusetts’ Paradise City Arts Festival, as well as local craft fairs and artisan tours. Meeting artists and watching their demonstrations adds a deeper understanding, meaning and appreciation of artwork. Living with handmade, functional objects adds color and sensory experiences that enhance pleasure in daily life. 

In a time of increasing reliance on digital ways of living and working, and with the need to discern how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it seems like making objects by hand could soon become obsolete. But, I don’t think it ever will be. Recent scientific theories about embodied cognition suggest that thinking is not an exclusively abstract process in the brain, but is connected with bodily and sensory experiences that enhance knowledge, understanding and awareness.  When the craftspeople I’ve met discuss the benefits of making things by hand, they describe not only the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal, but also how the physical process of creating gives them time to focus, reflect, problem-solve or even relax, contributing to their sense of well-being and purpose.  There is also a special joy in giving or receiving an original, handmade artwork, that strengthens a relationship and can even connect people across generations and times.