Roberto Benavidez on creating piñatas & “piñathkos”
Artist Roberto Benavidez speaks with curator and art historian Catherine Hess on creating pinatas and “piñathkos”, paper paintings. Bonus video from PLAY, now streaming on PBS App, pbs.org/craftinamerica, and craftinamerica.org. PBS broadcast premiere December 29, 2023 (check local listings).
Gustave Baumann’s Printing the Democrat
Thomas Leech, former director at the press at the Palace of the Governors, on Gustave Baumann‘s woodblock print titled “The Print Shop” also known as “Printing the Democrat.” Bonus video from the MINIATURES episode, now streaming on the PBS App, pbs.org/craftinamerica, and craftinamerica.org. PBS broadcast premiere December 29, 2023 (check local listings).
Spirit of Play: Craft and Imagination
For artists, play can mean serious work. Play allows the mind to roam and encounter unusual solutions, whether it be in process or concept. The processes of making and imagining work in tandem for these artists, where grand, exquisite, whimsical and magical forms emerge from diligent exploration.
This exhibition celebrates the power of imagination, big ideas, craft ingenuity, and the child in all of us. It spotlights the work of several artists who are profiled in the 2023 episodes in Craft in America’s PBS documentary series, PLAY and MINIATURES.
Participating artists:
- Miniaturist Mark Murphy
- Paper sculptor Roberto Benavidez
- Piñata artist Lorena Robletto
- Puppeteer, artist museum educator Schroeder Cherry
- Artist, advocate, educator Calder Kamin
The PBS broadcast premiere for PLAY and MINIATURES is December 29, 2023 (check local listings).
Harry & Sandra Liddell Reese
Harry and Sandra Liddell Reese are book makers based in Isla Vista, CA. Harry received his BA in religious studies from the University of California Santa Barbara, and his MFA in creative writing from Brown University. After completing his MFA in 1975, he discovered book printing as a creative medium which incorporated his interest in design, literature, and image-making. He met Sandra the same year, who was working as a middle school teacher. Sandra learned the craft of printing alongside Harry. The couple developed the printing house Turkey Press, which specializes in hand-crafted paper and typography, experimental formats, and unique binding methods. They additionally founded Edition Reese in 1990 to produce limited edition artists’ publications. Turkey Press has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council. The Turkey Press archive catalog was purchased by the Getty Research Institute in 1992.
https://turkey-press.myportfolio.com/the-art-of-work
Leandro Gómez Quintero
Leandro Gómez Quintero (b. 1976, Baracoa, Cuba) uses paper, cardboard and found objects to create models of American cars and Jeeps, all of which are used as methods of transportation in his hometown. They are individually hand painted and detailed to mimic the original vehicle. His sculpture represents Willys Jeeps from 1942–1955, as well as Dodge Power Wagons, GMCs, and Fords from the era. These sculptures are representations of what his community sees on a daily basis and Leandro hopes to preserve and offer knowledge through his art, as well as reflect the history of transportation and everyday life in Cuba. Quintero says, “They bring humor and call attention to the fact that we are an isolated community within a country that has been isolated for many years. By showing the people a part of their everyday lives in a lighthearted way, they come to appreciate and can smile at some of the difficulties that we encounter in just trying to live our lives and getting from one place to another.”
(Courtesy of International Folk Art Alliance, 2017)
Cotsen Children’s Library
The Cotsen Children’s Library, a unit within Princeton University Library’s Department of Special Collections, is the benefaction of Lloyd E. Cotsen, ’50, and Charter Trustee, Emeritus. The curatorial division administers the research collection of illustrated children’s books, manuscripts, original artwork, prints, and educational toys, hosts academic conferences on children’s books and publishes their proceedings, and sponsors fellowships for research. The outreach division of Cotsen serves children of all ages, families, librarians and educators. Campus visitors can explore Bookscape, a whimsical reading environment with its two-story bonsai tree, Wall of Books, exhibition space, and attend free weekly story hours and special events.
https://library.princeton.edu/collections/cotsen-children%E2%80%99s-library
Family Art Day Aug. 12
The Craft in America Center welcomes families and youth ages 2–18 to our fun month of (free) Summer Craft Museum Days. We invite you to our free, drop-in workshops where kids and adults can learn to create sculpted paper vessels based on Susan Wulfeck’s work, with a stamping and coloring station inspired by Susan Garson as seen without our current Couples In Craft exhibition.
From mid July to mid August we’ll provide a variety summer activity sheets for a range of age ranges 2-18. All activities encourage creativity, searching through our gallery spaces, and showcasing students’ knowledge and curiosity around craft art through these activities. All youth who complete their age-range activities in-person or during the next few weeks may trade them in for fun mystery prizes!
Ask about the Summer Craft Museum activity sheets anytime Tuesday–Saturday from mid July to mid August. For further questions or inquiries about family programs, please contact: center@craftinamerica.org or call (323) 951-0610
Family Art Day July 28
The Craft in America Center welcomes families and youth ages 2–18 to our fun month of (free) Summer Craft Museum Days. We invite you to our free, drop-in workshops where kids and adults can learn to create sculpted paper vessels based on Susan Wulfeck’s work, with a stamping and coloring station inspired by Susan Garson as seen without our current Couples In Craft exhibition.
From mid July-mid August we’ll provide a variety summer activity sheets for a range of age ranges 2-18. All activities encourage creativity, searching through our gallery spaces, and showcasing students’ knowledge and curiosity around craft art through these activities. All youth who complete their age-range activities in-person or during the next few weeks may trade them in for fun mystery prizes!
Ask about the Summer Craft Museum activity sheets anytime Tuesday–Saturday from mid July- mid August. For further questions or inquiries about family programs, please contact: center@craftinamerica.org or call (323) 951-0610
Permanent Collection Highlights
This exhibition spans across the vibrant, ever-evolving field of contemporary craft. The gathered objects are made by some of the exceptional and inspiring artists who have been featured in Craft in America’s documentary since 2007, when the first episodes aired on PBS. From function to sculpture and cultural practice, this multimedia show is a glimpse into the innovation and artistry of contemporary craft innovators from across the states. Craft in America has been assembling a small and burgeoning permanent collection over the past 15 years and this is a chance to view some of the exemplary, vibrant works. Many of these objects were either made while the artist was filmed for the series or discussed by the artist in the episodes.
View a sequence of shorts from episodes related to the works in the exhibition: Click on the playlist icon 
to view the full playlist.
Virtual Gallery
Click and drag, or use your arrow keys, to see a 360º view of the virtual space, including tags with object information and images.
Image Gallery:
View the objects in the exhibition below and click on each image for additional information.
Piñatas: The High Art of Celebration at the Mingei
We are delighted to have our popular exhibit from 2021 become more expansive and travel to the Mingei Museum in San Diego!
Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, San Diego CA 92102
This groundbreaking show includes more than 80 works made by Latinx artists and makers from across the U.S. Work by traditional piñateros will be featured alongside the creations of artists who reinvent and reinterpret the piñata to form a burgeoning, expressive medium.
This exhibition is guest curated by Emily Zaiden, Curator of the Craft in America Center, and is a reimagining of an exhibition featured at Craft in America in 2021. Zaiden shares, “The contemporary artists featured in this exhibition reconsider the techniques, materials, function, tradition and notion of the piñata, forming a new language of imagined possibilities”.
This exhibition explores how piñatas are designed, constructed and executed, along with the role they play in modern material culture and in artistic practices. Piñatas of all shapes and sizes will be on view reflecting culture, politics, identity and daily life. Made with humor, biting wit, skilled craftsmanship and innovation, this is a vital and constantly evolving field for artmaking.
The works in this show amplify the materiality and performative aspects of piñatas to address the displacement and mistreatment of Latinx communities across the U.S. For example, local bi-national San Diego/Tijuana artist Diana Benavidez’s series, Vehiculos Transfronterizos, is a group of remote control piñata cars created as a form of political resistance. Many of the artworks are not intended to be smashed, but rather, presented as ephemeral sculptures.
Image Gallery
View the objects in the exhibition below and click on each image for information.
Catalog of 2021 Exhibition:
Printed copies of this catalog are available on Blurb for $15.