On Loan From the White House, a Collection of 77 Craft Artists’ Works is at the National Museum of American Art

A new collection has taken shape at the White House, and craft artists throughout the country couldn't be more proud. Working hand-in-glove with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michael Monroe — the curator-in-charge of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery — asked 77 of America's foremost craft artists to donate works of glass, fiber, wood, ceramic, and other materials to this new collection. Every one he asked said yes.

This summer, through September 4, the works are on view at the National Museum of American Art. The exhibit is accompanied by a catalog published by Abrams, as well as a site on the Internet that offers a "virtual tour" of the exhibition. After the show closes, the objects that make up the White House Collection of American Crafts will be back home at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, where they will be shown on a rotating basis.