In an ever increasingly digital world, social media is the primary form of expression and inclusion. Traditional craft is slowly becoming a rare skill as the digital age triumphs. After a visit to Contemporary Craft, a modern art museum, a deep appreciation goes out to those who see the value in handmade craft. It is used as a tool to convey the messages and stories of the artists. In this Article, we will be exploring Contemporary Craft, what they offer to the public, and their current exhibitions. 

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Contemporary craft is not your typical gluing together of popsicle sticks and hammering together of bird houses. That is not to say that Contemporary Craft is not for everyone to enjoy. Contemporary Craft’s mission is to engage the public in creative experiences through contemporary craft. They accomplish this by holding and offering various workshops, lectures, and using art to enrich the community. The drop-in studio provides hands on activity space that allows the public to participate in the creation process. There are sections of the studio that are designed for different mediums. There are four main areas including spaces for wood working, fabric, and metalsmithing. There is studio space devoted to the main exhibit, this exhibition involved sculpting, and provided was an instruction on the basics of clay. The drop-in studio is available to everyone and open during public hours, Monday through Saturday 10am through 5pm. The workshops that are offered provide instruction on working with a variety of mediums including clay, fiber, wood, metal, book arts, paper making, and mixed media. 

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Contemporary Craft has been featuring local, national and international artists in exhibitions since 1971. Elizabeth Rockwell Raphael established the museum for artisans to display and sell their work. This allowed people to see that their crafts were not just used for function but could also be beautiful. The exhibits change three to four times periodically throughout the year. They also feature permanent installments. Contemporary Craft is in the strip district, 2100 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. In addition, this they also have a satellite gallery, located in the Steel Plaza T-Station Lobby at BNY Mellon Center. No admission is charged for viewing exhibitions. 

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The museum offers three different designated gallery areas, the main gallery, the studio gallery and the satellite gallery. The main gallery is located by the entrance of the building, this main gallery is currently featuring Visual Voices: Truth Narratives. Thirty-seven ceramic pieces were chosen for the collection. This exhibition is on display until August 14, 2018. In this exhibit ceramic artists created powerful pieces that acknowledge global and personal issues in today’s society. The artists express their displeasure with racial, religious, gender, and many other meaningful topics. The studio gallery is located in a designated area down stairs. Quadrennial: Four Years of Spectacular Buckles from the U.S. and Abroad is at this locations. There were many techniques used including 3-D printing, lapidary, plastics, fused glass on metal, exotic materials, and other mediums. The exhibit highlights a selection of the work from the World Champion Belt Buckle Companions or WCBBC. This will be exhibited until August 25, 2018. In the satellite gallery Storyteller is currently on exhibition. Storyteller features ceramic works from the artist Jami Porter. Jami Porter uses a 2000-year-old technique to make ceramics that look like plastic bottles. Storyteller is on exhibit until May 6, 2018. 

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An upcoming exhibition, TRANSFORMATION 10: Contemporary Works in Found Materials is going to be on display from September 14, 2018 until March 9, 2018. Anyone can enter their artwork. Fifty-four of the best will be selected to be exhibited. The artist whose best displays the tenets of excellence and innovation is awarded The Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of $5,000. The Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize is awarded biannually.