Fiddler Beth Hoven Rotto, from Decorah, Iowa, shares the story of a Hardanger fiddle in Vesterheim’s collection made by the Helland Brothers, Knut Gunnarsson Helland and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland. They came to the United States in the early 20th century. Vesterheim Collection 1981.090.001.

Background music is “Stenbockens Marsch” from the album Northern Resonance, performed by Northern Resonance.

Learn more about Beth Hoven Rotto: https://vesterheim.org/exhibit/beth-hoven-rotto/

Fiddler Beth Hoven Rotto, from Decorah, Iowa, shares the story of a violin in Vesterheim’s collection made by Knut Reindahl, who immigrated to the United States from Norway in the last 1800s. Reindahl made 585 fiddles during his lifetime! Vesterheim 2011.020.001.

Background music: “Dad’s Waltz” from My Father Was a Fiddler, performed by Hoven-Rotto’s band Foot-Notes.

Liz Bucheit and Vesterheim’s chief curator Laurann Gilbertson chat about examples of Norwegian-American jewelry, providing an overview of sølje jewelry history and use.

Liz Bucheit creates jewelry and body adornment inspired by her Scandinavian ancestry and keeps close ties to her heritage by drawing inspiration from Nordic folklore and myth. A goldsmith for over 30 years, she holds a Master’s degree in metalworking and jewelry from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and has trained in traditional jewelry and metalworking techniques in Norway and Ireland. She has won numerous awards for her artwork, is included in exhibits around the country, and is an instructor at Vesterheim Folk Art School. She owns and operates Crown Trout Jewelers in Lanesboro, Minnesota.

IAIA provost, Felipe Jeneciech Estudillo Colon on the hogan that they built on campus. Bonus video from the WEST episode. PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Archival courtesy of IAIA.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

At the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, they showcase Native American art and their collection houses over 7,000 contemporary Native American art pieces. Bonus video from the WEST episode, PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Images courtesy of IAIA and IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

Institute of American Indian Art student Whisper Crow Dog and IAIA graduate Terran Last Gun on ledger art. Bonus video from the WEST episode, PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Terran Last Gun.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

IAIA Artist-in-Residence and Chilkat weaver Laine Rinehart on how the Artist-in-Residence program has allowed him to pursue his craft. Bonus video from the WEST episode. PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

Laurie Logan Brayshaw, Director of Sponsored Programs at IAIA on their land grant program. Bonus video from the WEST episode. PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Archival courtesy of IAIA.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

We speak with three generations at the Institution of American Indian Arts. Linda Lomahaftewa is faculty emerita, her daughter Tatiana is a curator of collections at IAIA MoCNA, and Tatiana’s daughter, Amanda is a IAIA student. Bonus video from the WEST episode. PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Archival courtesy of IAIA and IAIA Archives.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

Meskwaki artist and IAIA student Kayla Wanatee on her undergraduate exhibition and art. Bonus video from the WEST episode. PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

Nina Zannieri, Executive Director of the Paul Revere House tell us about Revere’s Midnight Ride. Bonus video from the EAST episode, PBS premiere December 19, 2025

Built around 1680, the Paul Revere House is the former home of American patriot and artisan, Paul Revere. Revere was a silversmith and a versatile craftsman. His shop made at least 90 types of pieces, the most unusual of which were created before the Revolution. His house is now a designated National Historic Landmark and operates as a non-profit museum. The Paul Revere House is the oldest house in downtown Boston and an example of 17th-century urban colonial architecture. Paul Revere owned the home from 1770 to 1800. It was the starting point of his “Midnight Ride” on April 18, 1775, sounding the alarm of approaching British troops. Today, its restored rooms, period furnishings, and artifacts related to Revere’s life and work offer a rare window into colonial life.

Archival courtesy of Niday Picture Library / Alamy, Tango Images / Alamy, Science History Images / Alamy, Library of Congress, © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The New York Public Library, Paul Revere Memorial Association, AE_Networks / Pond5, Mauricesavage / Pond5, ReenactmentStock / Pond5.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Culture bearer Marques Hanalei Marzan talks about the knotting and cordage practices that were used for nets. Feather artist Kawika Lum-Nelmida and Zita Cup Choy, ‘Iolani Palace historian, talks about the kahili, feather standards in the King’s and Queen’s Bedroom. Bonus video from the WEST episode, PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Images courtesy of Hawaii State Archives, PP-96-11-004, BlackBoxGuild / Pond5.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

Artist Daniel McCoy Jr and artist/faculty emerita Linda Lomahaftewa on the IAIA community. Bonus video from the WEST episode, PBS premiere December 19, 2025.

Images courtesy of IAIA Archives, Santa Fe, NM, Institute of American Indian Arts, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM, Hecho a Mano gallery & Daniel McCoy Jr.

For more info about Craft in America, visit www.craftinamerica.org.
All Craft in America episodes are viewable on craftinamerica.org, the PBS iPhone/iPad app, and pbs.org/craft-in-america

Craft in America’s mission is to promote and advance original handcrafted work through educational programs in all media.
Support our exploration and celebration of the handmade.
craftinamerica.org/page/donate

Fiber Artist Talk by Barbara Danzi in Los Angeles June 28, 2026 at TAG Gallery. Discussing her exhibit of contemporary abstract quilts composed of seemingly hand drawn lines, some traditional quilt history including the American Bicentennial, some whimsical lines of poetry, and acknowledgement of fiber art and quilting communities.

What’s My Line? explores the personality of lines through fabric and stitching. Lines can evoke feelings of power or serenity, a sense of direction, rhythm or abundance. I create the lines by hand cutting solid-colored fabric with gestural arm movements. I stitch the fabric pieces together using my sewing machine, creating seam lines that preserve the look of hand-drawn lines. I then add quilting stitches, either in straight lines or by drawing leaves or other designs which add layers of meaning to each composition. For this exhibit I created whimsical compositions drawn from the cultural and linguistic associations of lines. For nature lovers there is tree line, ridge line, coastline, shoreline. City dwellers will appreciate skyline, powerline, pipeline, trainline, fenceline and lane line. Rounding out the collection are line dance, hemline, line of scrimmage, headline, and since this is LA, “forgot my lines.”

Together, the works consider line as both a visual structure and a cultural metaphor. Quilts are available for sale. Additional quilt photos can be viewed on my website https://barbaradanzi.com

In this recording, rosemaler Louise Bath shares the remarkable artwork and life stories of 15 Vesterheim Gold Medalist rosemalers (Norwegian decorative painting).

Every other year, Vesterheim hosts a judeged show The National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition featuring contemporary artists who create folk art rooted in the Norwegian traditions of rosemaling, woodworking, weaving, metalworking, and knifemaking.

Artists submit work for evaluation by a team of judges, who offer feedback on their entries and award ribbons, which carry points that accumulate toward a Vesterheim Gold Medal. Over 150 artists are now Vesterheim Gold Medalists, and inspiring stories celebrate and uplift Norwegian-American folk art.

Vesterheim’s Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson examines a fish-shaped sewing kit that is part of Vesterheim’s collection.

The segmented silver fish contains a needle case, bodkin, ear spoon, pencil, and notebook. The fish fits into a wood case that is lined with silk and covered with leather.

The kit belonged to Didrikke Jakobsdatter Aall (1799-1871) of Skien, Telemark, and was brought to the United States in 1862 by her daughter, Christiane Ottesen Hjort (1833-1873). Christiane and husband Rev. Otto Ottesen served Lutheran congregations in northeast Iowa.

Vesterheim collection LC0422 – Fish-shaped Sewing Kit

Explore the past with Jennifer Kovarik, Vesterheim’s Collection Manager, and learn about the history and craftsmanship of this 1908 needlework box with Os-style rosemaling (Norwegian decorative painting).

Vesterheim collection 1988.037.002

Carolyn Mazloomi’s practice is deeply rooted in social documentation and activism. As the founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network and the African American Quilt Guild, Mazloomi has been instrumental in shaping the national discourse regarding quilting as a respected contemporary art form, belonging in the Artistic canon.

“Quilts possess a fundamental human imprint as the fabric itself holds the touch, time, labor, and stories of the lives depicted. Textiles have an inherent humanity. The histories of the people I portray are sewn into the fabric itself. My works speak on behalf of those whose voices might otherwise go unheard”.     – C. Mazloomi

Video credit: Daniel Morrison

Watch as we take you inside the studios—and the vibrant community—of Pittsburgh Glass Center, located in Pittsburgh’s East End.

Celebrating 25 years in 2026, Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) is a nonprofit, public access glass art center where anyone can take classes, explore the contemporary glass gallery, shop for glass gifts, and watch live glassblowing demonstrations.

Since its opening, PGC has educated over 750,000 individuals, contributed to the ongoing development of the city’s East End, and made Pittsburgh a significant hub in the international studio glass community. A multimillion-dollar expansion in 2024 nearly doubled its capacity, allowing it to meet the increasing demand for glass programs and studios.

PGC continues to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment that encourages everyone, from the casually curious to the master artist, to learn, create, and be inspired by glass.

25 years: Still Glowing, Still Growing

Celebrating and documenting 40 years of collaboration and friendship, this video tells the tale of South Shore Stitchers Quilt Guild through interviews with many of its members.  This includes some of its Charter Members who joined in 1985.  The guild has a long history of doing charity work as well as providing education to local people, including children.

We have an annual Sew-In on International Quilt Day, which is the third Saturday in March.  We have monthly Comfort Quilt workshops where members and friends make quilts for children and shared with local law enforcement, hospitals, and other places where children may be in need.  We also make Adult Clothing Covers (bibs) for nursing homes, wheelchair & walker bags, pillow cases that we donate to Ryan’s Case for Smiles, and we make Fidget Quilts for dementia patients and children with learning disabilities.  We have monthly meetings with speakers or other programs to benefit our members so they can share their talents with others.  Many of our members are involved in the South Jersey Chapter of Quilts of Valor, too.

We also have a biennial quilt show where we display to the public over 200 pieces of our work, as well as hourly demonstrations of quilting techniques, lots of shopping opportunities, and special exhibits where we invite related groups to feature the work that they do.

The Workhouse Arts Center, a historic landmark transformed into a thriving hub for contemporary art and craft. We invite viewers to explore our dynamic campus, where the “handwork” of 2026 comes alive through professional artist studios, immersive exhibitions, and hands-on art and craft education programs.

From intricate technical demonstrations to the broad variety of our public attractions, our mission is to foster a diverse and accessible community for the arts in America.

Baltimore Clayworks is a community-centered ceramics institution in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Our organization was founded by nine artists in 1980 and in 1984 received its nonprofit 501(c)3 status.

We are known for our attentiveness to our city, and possess a national and international reputation for artistic excellence, artists’ support, and community involvement. We envision a welcoming and creative community where all people can access and experience joy through clay.

Our mission is to develop, sustain, and promote an artist-centered community that provides outstanding educational, artistic, and collaborative programs in the ceramic arts. Its core values are artist-centeredness, excellence, inclusivity, integrity, and joy.