letter of interest.

"Homemade" or "Handmade" have lost meaning in our "information age." We buy the cheapest, easiest, fastest thing on the market. I fear the unique handmade object has been lost. The recent creation of etsy.com, crafting "meet up" circles, and blogs about handmade objects have created a space for the artisan of our future. I am interested in this resurgence of craft culture and what this says about our nation.

By attending these craft meet ups and interviewing different artisans and artists, I will document this new artistic grassroots culture. I will look at the different aspects of high art and low art as they are defined by art history and, as a means of comparison, how we see them today. While this topic is not specifically gendered, I will be looking at the history of women and crafting and if that has changed. Through this research on crafting, I will also look at how this new culture as shaped a new American identity. At the end of this documentation period I will produce a documentary film, to be entered into a variety of film festivals. I will also curate and organize an interactive exhibit with photographs and handmade works.

To complete this project, I had devised an organized plan. For two weeks, I will interview artisans in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island. If time allows, I will also travel to Highlands in the Hudson Valley. After these interviews, I will attend “meet ups” to capture footage and interview more people involved with this craft culture. With this knowledge, I will then attend craft fairs in the tri state area to meet more people interested in this way of life. I will then spend two weeks editing and organizing the documentary film and one week to organize an interactive exhibit.

In order to develop and complete this project, I am asking for a grant of $5,000. $2,000 will be used for a camera that also doubles as a video camera and a lap top computer. $1,000 will be used to purchase editing equipment. $1,500 will be used for food and shelter during travel to and from Manhattan. $500 will be used for travel time to and from Manhattan.

I am a Masters student in Art History, Theory, and Criticism at Stony Brook University. The conception of “high art” and “low art” has always interested me. Why are arts and crafts not considered as important as a Picasso or a Pollock? The interactive museum exhibit would juxtapose these different concepts of art. The artisan – the human hand’s influence on a purposeful art object is very different from our conception of modern art. What does this say about our American culture? With this recent interest in crafting, I think Americans are shaping a new sense of pride in their country. I am interested to see what crafters have to say about their new culture and our changing concept of what it means to be American. I would be honored to receive this grant so I can help to document the exciting changes going on in our country today. I thank you for your time in looking over my proposal and I look forward to hearing from you.