The Craft in America Handwork features Roberto Benavidez’s Illuminated Piñata No. 21 (2024), a vibrant ceramic sculpture of a colorful squirrel in a blue shirt enthusiastically eating a nut.
Craft in America Handwork, a beautifully illustrated book exploring the handmade objects, artists, and traditions that shaped American history, is a major new publication celebrating the makers, communities, and creative practices that continue to influence the nation’s cultural landscape.
BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON
Craft in America Celebrates American Craft Through a Landmark New Book
LOS ANGELES—Craft in America Handwork is introducing readers to a new way of exploring the nation’s history through the objects people have made with their own hands. Released Saturday, Handwork: Handcrafted Objects that Made America is a richly illustrated publication that examines how handmade works—from Colonial-era silver to Indigenous basketry and contemporary design—reflect the evolving story of the United States.
Published by Craft in America, the 320-page volume brings together nearly 40 respected artists, curators, historians, and scholars from across the country. Their essays accompany photographs of significant handcrafted objects that reveal the creativity, traditions, and cultural influences that have shaped American life. The release also launches Handwork 2026, a nationwide initiative leading into the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Craft in America Handwork Reframes American History Through Handmade Objects
Rather than telling history through dates or political milestones, Craft in America Handwork places handmade objects at the center of the conversation. The publication argues that everyday items, decorative arts, and functional objects provide valuable insight into the people and communities that created them.
The featured works span more than three centuries, illustrating the diversity of American craftsmanship. Readers encounter historic silver candlesticks, Indigenous Chumash basketry, ceramics, furniture, textiles, skateboards, and contemporary teacups. Together, these objects demonstrate how craftsmanship has documented changing lifestyles, artistic innovation, and cultural exchange throughout American history.
The publication also broadens the definition of what deserves recognition. Alongside celebrated works are ordinary household objects and creations by anonymous makers whose contributions have often been overlooked in traditional art history.
A National Collaboration of Leading Craft Experts
One of the book’s defining strengths is the breadth of expertise behind it. Nearly 40 contributors from museums, universities, and cultural institutions examine individual objects while placing them within broader artistic and historical contexts. Their perspectives help readers understand how craft intersects with design, community, identity, and cultural memory.
Among the contributors are craft historian Glenn Adamson, design curator Christina L. De León, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston curator Nonie Gadsden, and educator Leslie King-Hammond. Their essays reflect a wide range of scholarly viewpoints while reinforcing the publication’s commitment to representing multiple voices within American craft.
Instead of focusing exclusively on well-known artists, the book highlights the work of underrepresented creators and anonymous artisans whose craftsmanship continues to influence American visual culture.
Emily Zaiden Shapes the Editorial Vision
Emily Zaiden, Director and Lead Curator of the Craft in America Center, provides the introduction to Handwork: Handcrafted Objects that Made America. Her editorial approach encourages readers to view objects not simply as works of art but as storytellers that reveal social history and shared experience.
Zaiden explains that the publication intentionally places celebrated masterpieces alongside familiar everyday objects. This approach recognizes that cultural identity is expressed through both exceptional works of craftsmanship and the handmade items found in homes and communities across the country.
Her vision reflects broader changes within museums and cultural organizations that increasingly seek to expand representation and include a wider range of artistic traditions.
The Handwork Book Arrives Ahead of America250
The timing of the publication is significant. As museums, historical organizations, and cultural institutions prepare programming for America250, interest in American material culture continues to grow. The Handwork book contributes to that conversation by examining how handmade objects have documented the nation’s development through multiple perspectives.
Rather than presenting a single narrative, the publication recognizes the diverse communities that have shaped American creativity over several centuries. Indigenous traditions, immigrant influences, regional craftsmanship, and contemporary artistic practices all contribute to the larger story presented throughout the book.
This inclusive approach reflects ongoing efforts across the museum sector to present a more comprehensive understanding of American history.
Handwork 2026 Expands the Project Beyond the Book
The publication is only one part of a broader initiative. Craft in America has also introduced Handwork 2026, a year-long public engagement program connecting audiences with museums, educators, artists, and grassroots organizations across the country. Through exhibitions, partnerships, and educational programming, the initiative aims to demonstrate how historic and contemporary craft continues to influence everyday life.
By extending beyond a traditional book release, Handwork 2026 encourages broader participation while highlighting the importance of preserving artistic traditions for future generations.
The initiative also strengthens public engagement leading up to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Why Craft in America Handwork Matters
The release of Craft in America Handwork comes at a time when audiences are showing renewed interest in the stories behind the objects that surround them. Museums are increasingly exploring themes of representation, cultural heritage, and material culture, while readers are seeking publications that connect art with broader historical narratives.
The new volume responds to those interests by demonstrating that handmade objects are more than decorative works. They preserve memory, document innovation, and reveal the values of the communities that created them.
Its combination of scholarship, photography, and accessible storytelling makes the publication relevant for museum professionals, collectors, educators, students, and anyone interested in American art and design.
A New Perspective on American Craft
As preparations for America250 continue nationwide, Craft in America Handwork offers a timely examination of the role craft has played in shaping the country’s identity.
By bringing together decades of research, curatorial expertise, and visual documentation, the publication encourages readers to see familiar objects in new ways. Whether highlighting Indigenous basketry, historic decorative arts, or contemporary handmade works, the book presents craftsmanship as an essential part of the American story.
More than a beautifully produced art book, Handwork: Handcrafted Objects that Made America is an invitation to reconsider how everyday objects preserve history, express culture, and connect generations. For readers interested in American craft history, it offers both a visual celebration and a thoughtful exploration of the makers whose work continues to define the nation’s creative legacy.