Press

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York's finest crafts will be showcased at the 1999 Contemporary Crafts of New York State Exhibition. The show from Feb. 12 to May 2 at the State Museum features 92 works. Additionally, 9 x 9 x 3, a celebration of the 21st anniversary of the Textile Study Group of New York, will present a unique display of 52 contemporary fiber pieces.

"This exciting exhibit truly represents some of the best crafts New York State has to offer," said Cliff Siegfried, the Museum's director. "As part of the State Education Department, we're proud to teach the public about this fine industry and these art forms."

The show is organized in cooperation with the Crafts Alliance of New York State. Color and wit will merge in extraordinary interpretations of common items, like a lamp and a briefcase, displayed alongside pieces conceived for pure aesthetic reasons, like sculptures and wall-hangings.

"We hope that this exhibit will educate, inspire, and help the public understand and recognize true hand craftsmanship. The Contemporary Crafts exhibition acknowledges the great tradition of craft in New York State," said Megan White, director of the Crafts Alliance, a Syracuse-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the professional development of craftspeople.

For 9 x 9 x 3, each artist created a work within the confines of a box with those dimensions, a modular format that unifies a diverse variety of work.

The Textile Study Group of New York, founded in 1977, has grown from a circle of six students drawn together by an interest in fiber to over 100 members today. It includes both established and emerging artists. 9 x 9 x 3's first venue was the American Craft Museum in New York City, Sept. 19 - Oct. 18, 1998.

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*For color slides or to arrange interviews with artists, please call 518/474-0079.