A month-long exhibit staged in the heart of the Financial District, Crafts in Action included demonstrations of weaving and rope tying, as well as objects seldom seen in a business environment, such as looms, baskets of natural wools and yarn, dyestuffs, and coils of rope. Passersby on the street were free to watch the artists work, creating a studio visit-like experience.

Artist Joe Scheurer created a construction of knots around an aluminum frame that resembled a tree of knots and also instructed sailing enthusiasts on how to make sailing knots for their boats. Weavers Sharon Fein and Jo Ellen Scheffield, meanwhile, worked on a tapestry depicting Nassau Street full of fast-food and discount stores, effectively combining traditional customs with the realities of modern life.

Crafts in Action thus drew parallels between the rote quality and disciplined labor involved in the process of craft work with the office routines of Financial District workers.

Photograph by Bettina Cirone.

Multiple Artists

Crafts in Action

Manhattan

1974