The Fine Craft Show

Albany Center Gallery announces the Fine Craft Show to be held from September 5 to October 10, 2014, with a 1^st Friday Reception on September 5 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Crafts and fine art are considered by many to be two distinct categories: In one, crafts are seen as functional objects made skillfully by hand; in the other, works of fine art transcend function to serve the “higher” purpose of personal and cultural expression. But what happens when craft materials such as porcelain, ceramic, metal and fabric are employed to make works that attain the status of fine art? The Fine Craft Show will explore this question by highlighting five artists -  Cyndy Barbone, Janet Cooper, James Gillaspie, Frank Giorgini, and Lars Turin - whose works defy the traditional definition of craft.

In her weavings, Cyndy Barbone uses the duality of the hidden and exposed to explore a physical and emotional sense of place. Her sources include immediate surroundings, travels and self-portraiture.

Janet Cooper’s assemblage dresses, made by applying memorabilia to vintage dresses and by honing traditional women’s work such as sewing, knitting, quilting and stitching, intricately reflect the feminine world.

Specializing in the design and fabrication of custom medieval full plate armor using precious metals, aluminum, stainless steel, mild steel, and tempered steel, James Gillaspie studies how armor conforms to the unchanging ergonomics of the human body.

Recognized as one of the leading designers and promoters of handmade ceramic art tiles, Frank Giorgini creates powerful raku-fired animal and abstract wall plaques to render his ideas in vibrant three-dimensionality.

Using varied types of clay, sculpting and wheel techniques, and firing processes, Lars Turin creates sculptural and functional forms that explore the dynamics between nature and humanity.

The Fine Craft Show will open on September 5 and run through October 10, 2014. The public is invited to attend the 1st Friday Reception on September 5 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Albany Center Gallery, 39 Columbia Street, Albany, N.Y.