Debora Muhl of Whitsett, N.C., makes baskets from wicker, ribbon, grass, and twigs. The wooden cabinet with a clock at the top, left, is the work of Derek Hennigar of Columbus, N.C. The craft show continues through Sunday.
For more than 30 years, the Philadelphia Museum of Art's annual Craft Show has offered shoppers a chance to fulfill holiday wish lists with delicate jewelry, elaborate stained glass sculptures, and one-of-a-kind textiles from baskets to blankets.
But what many shoppers may not know is that by making these purchases, they are helping the museum fulfill its own wish list. Proceeds - more than $400,000 last year - are used to fund some of the museum's educational programs and special exhibits. A portion of last year's money went toward building a handicapped-accessible entrance and buying a specially outfitted art-transport van.
Even with an economy in continued flux, show manager Nancy O'Meara expects more than 24,000 visitors to come out for this year's unique offerings. She already knows of groups coming in from across the country, from California as well as from the Mid-Atlantic states.
"Philadelphia is a great place for arts and crafts, and this is a high-end art and contemporary craft show," O'Meara said. "These are works by full-time artists, nothing mass-produced. These are one-of-a-kind pieces made by hand with the appropriate tools. It's art for your home, art for you to wear."
More than 1,300 artists from across the nation competed for 195 display areas in this year's show. The sale is a collaborative effort by the Craft Show Committee and the Women's Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the country's oldest women's organizations supporting a cultural entity.
The museum's first craft show was held 33 years ago with 125 artists at Fairmount Park's Memorial Hall. It has grown in size, added a visiting artist/featured country component - this year, 26 artisans are coming from South Korea - and it has changed location a few times before settling in at the Convention Center in 1993. Other than that, little has changed.
"People have become more sophisticated in their displays, but the work is always strong and good," O'Meara said.
Amy Fox, the show's chairwoman, said she was excited by the opportunity to talk to the artists presenting their work.
"They're enthusiastic and happy to talk," she said. "I've ended up buying things I might not have been attracted to because, after talking to the artist, I have a whole new perspective of their work."
During scheduled demonstrations, visitors can hear how artists turn, for example, the trunk of a white oak tree into a decorative basket.
"People enjoy that conversation with the artists," O'Meara said. "You get to have a relationship with the artist as well as the art."
The prices vary greatly, from items in the single digits to the thousands. Artists are encouraged to bring crafts with an array of price points.
Anyone can go home happy, Fox said: Last year, her children were thrilled by the handcrafted wooden top they had bought for about $12.
"There's such a wide range of phenomenal craft: from pieces that look like they should only belong in museums to fabulous pieces that will fit into your home," Fox said. "But even those museum pieces end up going to someone's home."
Museum of Art Craft Show
The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show continues through Sunday at the Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission: $15, two-day passes are $20, children under 12 are $5. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Information: 215-684-7930 or www.pmacraftshow.org.
