Summer 2024: Building Blocks, Woodworking, and Family Fun!

Summer’s here and school’s out! Even while our Craft in Schools program takes a short summer break, our Craft in America Center team is hosting all kinds of eclectic crafting workshops, artist-musician events, and talks – not to be missed! 

Drop-In Fun: Summer ‘24 Family Activity Sheets

We welcome young creatives, their friends and families to come enjoy our AC alongside this summer’s Building Blocks: Process & Wood exhibition (all free of charge). We’re excited to host some creative and fun activities, suitable for youth ages preK-8th grade; with past times that will entertain young visitors with (pictured below):

  • a drawing/coloring station
  • a playful scavenger-hunt through our exhibition
  • an intro to woodworking ideas
  • short technique-video clips on how craft artists make their art in studios
  • & small surprise prizes!
various coloring and game-worksheets with a basket of coloring supplies sit on a wooden table with colorful craft and woodwork magazines
Summer ’24 Family Fun Activities
one variation of family fun worksheet for Summer '24 Woodwork exhibition, featuring question to colorful carpentry/woodwork pictures and phrases
another one variation of family fun worksheet for Summer '24 Woodwork exhibition; showing woodwork techniques and fill in the blank phrases

For more explorative crafters and learners, we encourage taking an inspirational dive into our PBS Craft in America docuseries: full episodes, and artist storytelling shorts. In between summer adventures and much needed rest ~ we hope you’ll drop by and connect with us soon!

Woodworking Network: Craft in America Announces New Exhibition

April 26, 2024

Original post by Dakota Smith on Woodworking Network here.

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Craft in America Center has announced Building Blocks: Process and Wood, a group exhibition highlighting Southern California woodworkers who use tradition to create contemporary interpretations.

Craft in America is organizing an exhibition of woodwork and furniture-based sculpture made by the artists who were consulted and filmed for the new Craft Video Dictionary (CVD) definitions. The exhibition will consist of approximately two dozen recent works made by six artists in the field who are based across the Los Angeles basin. Ranging in styles and perspectives, these artists are unified by formal innovation coupled with a unique understanding of materials and techniques.

The Craft Video Dictionary is a new digital tool for understanding how objects are made. Launching in early 2024 with an initial exemplary array of video definitions that span media, material, process, and discipline, the CVD will continue to expand and develop over time. New, additional video definitions will be added at later intervals in 2024 and beyond. Especially for those who are not makers or artists, the CVD provides a chance to gain awareness about the crafting of objects, in real time. These educational videos are intended to clarify, elucidate, document, and explain craft techniques.

Participating Artists: Reuben Foat, Martin Alexander Hernandez, Ryan Taber, Lauren Verdugo, Larry White and Maxwell Wilson