Crafts
'Irreplaceable' Artifacts Stolen From a Museum in Sheffield, England
The 12 items are part of the region's rich history as a metalworking capital
These Asian American Artists Merge Traditional Aesthetics With Contemporary Practices
Jewelers Reiko Ishiyama and Jeong Ju Lee redefine the “American Spirit” at the Smithsonian’s upcoming Craft Show
The Blue That Enchanted the World
Indigo is growing again in South Carolina, revived by artisans and farmers with a modern take on a forgotten history
The Art of Wearing Works of Art
From Japanese kimono silks to Navajo jewelry, Smithsonian’s 2022 Craft2Wear brings shoppers into a world of wearable craft and design
The Colorful History Behind Panama's Mola
Made by hand, this clothing staple is an important piece of the country's rich culture
The Real Panama Hat
For centuries, Panamanian artists have been weaving "pinta'o" from natural fibers
Traditionally Dyed Eggs Spring Into Action for Ukraine
The colorful folk art is a centuries-long custom
Retired Astronaut Launches a Fabric Line Inspired by Her Views of Earth From Space
Karen Nyberg's two missions to the International Space Station over her 30-year career with NASA fueled her creativity as an artist
The Legend of the Music Tree
Exotic lumber salvaged from a remote forest in Belize is the world’s most coveted tonewood
Three Craft Artists Share How the Pandemic Has Reshaped Life and Art
Traditional and innovative specialists make ready for the upcoming virtual Smithsonian Craft Show and Sale
American History as Seen Through Quilts
For historians, the textiles are much more than just decorative covers for a bed
First Museum Dedicated to American Arts and Crafts Movement Opens in Florida
Proponents of the artistic philosophy pushed back against industrial production and embraced handcraftsmanship
How Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Offers Solutions to California's Wildfires
“We need to reintegrate Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge and cultural and prescribed burning into our landscape,” Carolyn Smith says
Three Craft Artists Explain How Art and Sustainability Come Together in Their Work
Smithsonian’s prestigious annual craft show opens online April 24; the nation’s top artists gather in the spirit of optimism
How Modern Researchers Are Trying to Recreate a Long-Lost Fabric
Dhaka muslin was immensely popular for millennia, but the secrets of its creation faded from memory by the early 20th century
How a Pioneering Ceramicist Is Using Pottery to Reclaim Black History
Jim McDowell, known to many simply as “the Black Potter,” is a ceramicist who specializes in a craft with deep connections to lost histories
Learn the Powerful Story Behind This Handcrafted Diné (Navajo) Teapot
From the storage vaults of the National Museum of the American Indian, a small, copper sculpture points to a different sense of place
The State of American Craft Has Never Been Stronger
Today’s craft renaissance is more than just an antidote to our over-automated world. It renews a way of life that made us who we are
How Native Artisans in Alaska Bring Innovation and Humor to Their Craft
In Indigenous communities along the coast, a lively artistic movement plays with tradition
