Craftnow Philadelphia

CRAFTNOW UNITES THE COMMUNITY IN SUPPORTING PHILADELPHIA AS A NATIONAL CRAFT CAPITAL.

CRAFTECON IS A SERIES OF PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CRAFT. CRAFTNOW IS UTILIZING RESOURCES, PARTNERSHIPS, AND NETWORKS TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS THAT FURTHER ADVANCE THE LOCAL CRAFT AND MAKER INDUSTRY IN PHILADELPHIA. THESE PROGRAMS WILL UNITE CREATIVE BUSINESSES, INCREASE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTISANAL SECTOR, AND SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN THE FIELD. THIS PORTFOLIO INCLUDES TOOLS OF THE TRADES - A HYBRID CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON CONNECTING ARTISANS AND MAKERS TO BUSINESS RESOURCES IN PHILADELPHIA AND BEYOND. THIS FIVE DAY EVENT PROVIDES A CONCENTRATED PERIOD FOR CREATIVE LEARNING TO HELP CRAFT-FOCUSED BUSINESSES ACCELERATE GROWTH AND FIND SUCCESS HOWEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DEFINE IT.

CRAFTMONTH IS AN ANNUAL PORTFOLIO OF EVENTS AND MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES CURATED EACH NOVEMBER. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, CRAFTNOW ACTIVATES THE CITY, THE DAYS AND WEEKS SURROUNDING THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART CONTEMPORARY CRAFT SHOW WITH THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S ART IN CITY HALL AND OFFICE OF ARTS, CULTURE AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY HAVING ISSUED A PROCLAMATION NAMING NOVEMBER CRAFTMONTH. EACH YEAR, CRAFTNOW HOSTS A SYMPOSIUM TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR CRITICAL DISCOURSE IN CONTEMPORARY CRAFT. THIS YEAR THE EVENT WAS HYBRID - ATTENDEES COULD JOIN IN PERSON OR BY ZOOM. CRAFTNOW'S 2022 SYMPOSIUM "PUBLIC & PRIVATE" OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT HOW HANDMADE ELEMENTS AND CRAFTED OBJECTS COMMUNICATE, WHETHER ARCHITECTURAL SPACE IS SHARED OR PRIVATE, AND TO EXPLORE WHICH PROCESSES AND ASPECTS [CONT ON SCH O]OF THEIR CREATIVE IDENTITIES ARTISTS CHOOSE TO SHARE WITH THEIR AUDIENCES. AS PRIVATE SPACES BECOME INCREASINGLY PUBLIC VIA OMNIPRESENT VIRTUAL WINDOWS INTO OUR HOMES AND STUDIOS, THE SYMPOSIUM EXPLORED HOW THESE LENSES HAVE SHIFTED DICHOTOMIES OF SHARED AND PERSONAL SPACE FOR STUDENTS, PRACTITIONERS, EDUCATORS, AND CONSUMERS OF CRAFT.THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS MICHAEL LEWIS, ARCHITECTURAL CRITIC FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND AUTHOR OF PHILADELPHIA BUILDS: ESSAYS ON ARCHITECTURE, FRANK FURNESS: ARCHITECTURE AND THE VIOLENT MIND, AND CITY OF REFUGE.OTHER PRESENTING INSTITUTIONS INCLUDED CRAFT IN AMERICA, THE CENTER FOR ART IN WOOD, WHARTON ESHERICK MUSEUM, VARYING DIVISIONS OF THE PHILADELPHIA MUMMERS PARADE, AMONG MANY OTHERS.

CRAFTNOW CREATE - SUMMER CAMP EDITION IS ORGANIZED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PHILADELPHIA'S DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION. THROUGH THIS COLLABORATIVE, CRAFTNOW BRINGS THE WONDER AND IMAGINATION OF THE CRAFT STUDIO INTO PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOOD REC CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS COORDINATE THEIR EFFORTS TO ENSURE WE CAN OFFER AN IN-PERSON CRAFT WORKSHOP AT ALL 120 SUMMER CAMPS DELIVERING CRAFT INSTRUCTION AND REACHING 5,000 CAMPERS. IN ADDITION, THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART PROVIDES TAKE-HOME KITS WITH ART SUPPLIES AND FREE PASSES TO THE MUSEUM FOR EACH STUDENT AND UP TO FIVE MORE MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILY. [CONT ON SCH O] NEW IN SUMMER OF 2022 CRAFTNOW PHILADELPHIA INTRODUCED IMMERSIVE WEEKLONG ART CAMPS TARGETING SEVEN INDIVIDUAL CENTERS WITH MULTI-DAY SESSIONS DURING THE GAP WEEKS BETWEEN THE END AND START OF SCHOOL IN LATE JUNE AND MID-AUGUST. REGISTERED STUDENTS HAD MORE CONCENTRATED TIME WITH ART INSTRUCTION AND TOURED SOME OF THE CITY'S MOST RENOWNED GALLERIES.