Craft in America's New Episode Premieres on PBS, Friday, October 25, 2013 at 10pm (*check local listings)nnMetalsmiths create powerful art -...
Craft in America's New Episode Premieres on PBS, Friday, October 25, 2013 at 10pm (*check local listings)nnMetalsmiths create powerful art - from delicate jewelry to monumental sculptures - in FORGEnnCRAFT IN AMERICA, the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning series dedicated to exploring craft in our nation, begins Season Five with FORGE, premiering on PBS primetime, Friday, October 25, 2013 at 10pm*. Forging is an ancient method where metal is heated and reheated, strengthened and hammered into sinuous, extravagant curves. Through this mysterious process, artists express their creativity and skill. nnThe craft of silversmithing in New England existed even before America's most patriotic silversmith, Paul Revere, made his famous ride. Old Newbury Crafters in Amesbury, Massachusetts was one of the best at the time. Fourteen generations later, it is now in the capable hands of a young metal artist, Chloe Darke. She leads the company in handforging extraordinary objects and declares "there's a rebirth of craft for people in my generation who are interested in traditional ways of making things." Retired silversmith Robert Lapham says Darke "is exactly what this company needs for the future."nnIraq war veteran Tom Pullin forged his life in the military, turning to the GI Bill to pursue training at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, DC. For Pullin, metal work is a healing path to exorcize the chaotic, confusing, horrifying experiences of war. Pullin works with instructor Davidé Prete and fellow veteran Jeremiah Holland to combine ancient techniques of forging and casting with cutting edge 3-D printing technology. They create a metal skull, a haunting reminder of a young Iraqi girl whose grave was disturbed in a search for a downed Marine. Retired Brigadier General Nolen Bivens, nationally recognized champion of the Army Arts & Crafts program, emphasizes the importance of creativity in the military and the incalculable benefits of the arts to America's warriors.nnAlbert Paley prepares for the most ambitious project of his fifty-year career: Paley on Park Avenue. Thirteen monumental sculptures will be on view on Park Avenue in New York City from June 17 - November 8, 2013. Amid the flying sparks and the red-hot steel, we witness Paley's mastery of all the processes necessary to turn sheets of metal into seemingly weightless ribbons undulating twenty feet above the ground. Paley has pursued a career that has consistently challenged his abilities. "I have a very aggressive, assertive personality and it is made manifest through the materials", Paley says. From fabricating art jewelry, to forging iron gates, to the creation of large-scale sculptures commissioned for public and private spaces worldwide, Albert Paley is now ranked among the most successful and prolific sculptors in America.n nThe Craft in America series is the result of years of advocacy, research and filmmaking by Executive Producer/Director Carol Sauvion. "Craft is once again proving its relevance as people return to the handmade."n nAncillary projects include hours of online videos and interactive learning materials, museum exhibitions, the Random House book Craft in America: Celebrating Two Centuries of Artists and Objects, and the free-to-the-public Craft in America Center located in Los Angeles, offering artist talks, exhibitions, workshops and a library of publications on the history and techniques of craft.nnFor more on Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org or pbs.org/craftinamerica nAll Craft in America programs are now viewable on the PBS iPhone/iPad app and online at video.pbs.org/program/craft-in-america nTo purchase DVDs: www.shoppbs.org/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3854896n nfacebook.com/craftinamerica nyoutube.com/craftinamerica2007 nflickr.com/photos/craftinamericantwitter.com/CraftinAmerican nPlease contact for art and interviews:nCarol Sauvion, Executive Producer: carolsauvion@craftinamerica.org nBeverly Feldman, Press: beverly@craftinamerica.org Less
