NC Cultural Resources Newsroom

(RALEIGH) – Craft artists create works that are both utilitarian and beautiful, and the works of some of North Carolina’s best artisans are featured in new Discover Craft NC Knowledge Cards ™ recently released by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

“North Carolina craft has an international reputation for its traditional heritage and groundbreaking contemporary glass, metal, and wood work,” said Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Lisbeth C. “Libba” Evans.

Each of the 47 cards features a color photograph of an object – glass, ceramics, sculpture, textiles – that tells a story of the times, places and artists. Essays provide context and perspective, touching on the rich history of craft and its reflection of broader cultural themes.

The cards are as varied as the state’s landscapes. From Cherokee carvers and famed western folk schools, to rural and urban guilds and galleries in the piedmont, to coastal decoy makers who celebrate a vibrant maritime heritage, North Carolina craft shines. The colorful decks are available at museum and craft shops, and on-line at www.ncculture.com, click historical publications store.

Loon, a dazzling decoy carved by the late David Lawrence, Grandma Nettie, a carved gourd by Michele Tejuola Turner from the Cameron Art Museum’s permanent collection, and metal Spoons fashioned by Robert Ebendorf, are among the objects in the Discover Craft NC deck.

“North Carolina is proud to be home to more than More than 6,000 crafts artists, including potters, weavers, basket makers, quilters, jewelers, blacksmiths and carvers,” said Evans. “The industry brings about $550 million to North Carolina’s economy, ranking the state in the top three in the nation for craft income.”

Many of the artworks in the deck were originally part of the Governor’s North Carolina Craft Exhibition at the Executive Mansion, which traveled around the state during 2007. The exhibition is next scheduled to be on display Jan. 4-29 at the Craven Arts Council and Gallery, 317 Middle St., New Bern, 28560. The exhibition and Discover Craft NC deck are part of the “Celebration of North Carolina Craft” proclaimed by Gov. Mike Easley. The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources and the N.C. Craft Coalition organized the exhibition.

For more information, call (919) 807-7385. The N.C. Arts Council is an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. For more information about the Department of Cultural Resources visit www.ncculture.com.