What is craft? Is it art? Is it a style? Does it matter?

In his first lecture, Perry Allen Price will offer up founding concepts and characteristics that define craft. In the second session, he will present a hands-on exploration of work by the resident artists at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC). In addition, he will walk us through two exhibitions at HCCC that explore the myriad ways contemporary craft artists continue to merge traditional processes and materials with novel and innovative approaches. Meta-Formation presents the persistence of blacksmithing as a means of both functional craft and expressive making, while Breaking Tradition explores the possibilities for subversion of the decorative arts by today’s craftspeople.

Perry Price joined HCCC as executive director in 2016. Before coming to Houston, he was director of education at the American Craft Council in Minneapolis and curator of exhibitions and collections at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA. Founded in 2001, HCCC educates people about the process, product, and history of craft. It is one of a few such venues in the U.S. dedicated to a broad look at craft through exhibitions, classes, tours, and an open-studio artist-in-residence program.