Is it Art or Craft?
This may be a distinction without meaning for many, but for those who work in the fields formerly known as Fine Art or Fine Craft, the distinction matters. Art can be thought of as primarily communication. Art is trying to say something- for the visual arts, this is done through the medium, painting, sculpture, etc. Fine craft is a type of art that focuses on materials. With roots in functional objects, fine craft deals with, from the artist's perspective, the inherent possibilities of the material. In America, fine craft usually includes pottery and ceramics, textiles, paper and books, baskets, and wood.
Fine Craft in the Workplace
Having art of any kind in the workplace benefits employee engagement and stimulates interaction with the environment. Many complex works of art provoke slow, careful study and thought, changes in perspective, and sensory delight. These intellectual and emotional experiences can move a person to more completely engage with their environment.
Fine craft has many benefits as the art of choice in a business or workspace. Many people have a personal connection with the materials of modern craft, and can immediately identify with the warmth, tactile qualities, and accessibility of textiles, wood, and baskets. Craft is not pretentious, and can be thought of as the art of the people, an art that people can immediately connect with.
In addition to using fine craft to increase the quality of life for those who work in offices and businesses, craft can be used functionally to delineate space, to guide flow, to encourage collaboration. Some workplaces have rotating displays in several locations, so works can move throughout a business and everyone can enjoy them. This feeling of not reserving the good art for the executive wing, and allowing all to experience the works, is an added benefit. A glass walled display case for an art quilt can easily hold other textile works, such as weaving and collage. Having a display area to protect the works also encourages the works to be rotated.
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