Contemporary Craft

Welcome to Freddie Bainbridge, one of our new Regional Artists-in-Residence!

Freddie () is a Pittsburgh-based conceptual mixed-media and installation artist working primarily in encaustic, photography, and found materials. Through nonlinear visual narratives, his work explores the relationships between architecture, memory, time, energy, and the natural world.

Combining wax, pigments, textiles, photography, and reclaimed objects, Freddie creates richly layered compositions that invite viewers to reconsider familiar places and the passage of time. His large-scale public and commissioned works include installations for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and artwork celebrating Heinz Hall.

His current work expands beyond traditional painting into monumental installations that explore transformation, interconnectedness, and the invisible forces shaping our world. Guided by his belief in “making the world a little more beautiful every day,” Freddie invites viewers to look beyond the familiar and discover new ways of seeing.

Be sure to say hi if you see Freddie around the Studios! We can't wait to see what he makes while in residence!

Mystery Boxes from the Store are now live!

Available in-store and online, these mysterious boxes hold an enchanting mix of intrigue and fine craft.

Offered at a range of price points set below retail value, each box contains a secret combination of artist-made jewelry, ceramics, textiles, and more.

Gift yourself a surprise, add novelty to your craft collecting experience, or add a layer of fun to unboxing a gift for a friend! Pick up a box today to indulge in a well-crafted mystery.

The Store is open Monday – Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM, with extra shopping hours until 7 PM every Thursday. Be sure to stop by to see what's in Store, or shop online at the link in our bio.

Applications are now open for Contemporary Craft's 2027 Teen Apprentice in Craft and Technology program (TACT)!

Now in its sixth year, our annual TACT program will launch in January 2027 with a new cohort of 10 teens from the Pittsburgh region. Students will explore the intersection of craft and technology while working in Contemporary Craft's Studios. This year's cohort will focus on blacksmithing, learning with a Contemporary Craft Teaching Artist for eight consecutive weeks. By the end of the program, all participants will be certified to use the Rabbit Laser Cutter and Blacksmithing Studio, and will have completed a capstone project of their own design to be presented in a TACT showcase! Each cohort will also have two Artist 'ProSessions', giving students the opportunity to learn from and connect with professional artists and makers.

Sessions are 5 – 9 PM each Wednesday during January, February, and the beginning of March.

Learn more and apply now at the link in our bio, or on our website.

There's still time to sign up for this free RAD pass workshop, happening this Saturday!

In Hand Papermaking with Collage and Inclusions, instructor Katy Dement () will guide you through creating handmade paper, illustrated with vintage print media, natural objects, and other found materials.

Perfect for complete beginners, this workshop will teach the basics of "wet on wet" techniques for paper making and introduce different paper making tools and equipment, including the Hollander be**er. A brief history of papermaking and an overview of the uses for handmade paper will also be covered.

Participants will leave with several hand-crafted paper sheets embellished with their collages. Participants are encouraged to bring memorabilia from home to add to their work.

All tuition and materials are complimentary thanks to RAD Pass!
Learn more and register at the 'upcoming workshops' link in our bio.

Register now to join us for the Textures of Being Community Forum on October 24, from 9:30 – 3:30 PM!

The Textures of Being Community Forum is an intimate, daylong program presented in collaboration with Anthropology of Motherhood. Centered on disability, accessibility, the body, and artistic practice, the forum brings together artists, advocates, and cultural leaders to consider how access shapes the ways we communicate, create, organize, and participate in community life. The Forum will end with a free opening reception for Community Voices by Creative Citizen Studios at 3:30 PM.

The program will feature three complementary presentations. Artist and self-advocate Mark Steidl will address creative voice, communication, and the importance of disabled people telling their own stories. Kristen Link of The Woodlands Foundation will discuss how organizations can move beyond individual accommodations to build sustained cultures of access and belonging. Artists from the Anthropology of Motherhood: Deaf & Disability Art Exhibition will share how Deaf and disability culture, caregiving, embodiment, and access inform their artistic processes and relationships with audiences.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided at this program.
If you require accommodation to fully participate in this activity, please indicate in the registration form. Accommodations for individuals will be reviewed/provided at least an 15-day advance notice.

Learn more and register at the 'exhibitions programming' link in our bio.

Image Description: A close-up detail of a tapestry with fine threads woven in pink and lavender panels and images of flowers and foliage printed in white ink. On a lavender rectangle, white text reads " COMMUNITY FORUM, OCTOBER 24, (9:30 AM - 3:30 PM, TICKETED REGISTRATION REQUIRED." Below, the white Textures of Being text graphic is overlaid on a lavender gradient. A white Contemporary Craft logo is placed at the top left corner.

It was a beautiful day at Floodplain Studios!

They’re developing an 8-acre stretch of land along the Great Allegheny Passage, just outside of Pittsburgh, where people can go to be creative in nature. If you love art and being outdoors, make sure to link up on their page, so that you can get involved! Shout out to Faye Miller, for constantly challenging our region to be creative and sustainable. It was plenty of fun to plant trees and remove invasive species.
Floodplain Studios

Next week is looking fibers-focused, but don't let that fool you! We have plenty in store in all of our Studios this fall.

Visit our 'upcoming workshops' to learn more and register for classes coming up in wood, metals, blacksmithing, paper and fiber!

From the Archives: Teapot by Steve McGovney, featured in an advertisement for the Store in 1975.

Formed from fine craftsmanship and a little whimsy, this teapot, and the advertisement it's featured on, showcase the iconic design sensibilities of the 1970s.

A similar piece by Steve MgGovney, "Teapot with Mustache Man" still lives in the Contemporary Craft permanent collection. This teapot was shown in the 1979 Art in Modern Handcrafts exhibition at Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute (now the Carnegie Museum of Art), organized by Contemporary Craft.

This fabulous ceramic teapot, and two of its friends, is on view for just one more week in archive this!, the current exhibition in our Gerri Kay Cases, closing on Saturday, October 10.

Make sure to come see "Teapot with Mustache Man" before archive this! comes to an end. Our galleries are open Monday - Saturday and admission is always free.

Artwork Details: Steve McGovney, "Teapot with Mustache Man," mid-1970s. Ceramic. 6.75 x 11.5 x 7.5 in

Photos by Julie Celidonia.

Mark your calendars for an upcoming artist talk with Melissa English Campbell ()!

Join the artist next Saturday, October 10 at 11 AM for an engaging conversation as she shares the story, ideas, materials and processes behind the work in Bodies in Motion!

This event is free, and there will be an informal audience Q + A after the talk—this is a wonderful opportunity to meet the artist and gain deeper insight into the exhibition!

This event is free, but we ask that you register at the "exhibition programming" link in our bio.

Melissa English Campbell (b. 1969, San Francisco) holds a B.S. in Environmental Design from the University of California, Davis, and an MFA in Studio Arts from Kent State University. Her artwork has been exhibited globally, including at the Royal Albert Museum in the UK, Seoul, South Korea; Como, Italy; and New South Wales, Australia. Nationally, Melissa’s work has been shown at galleries such as San Jose Museum of Textiles, Columbus Museum of Craft, New Bedford Art Museum, Museum of Texas Tech University; Petaluma Center for the Arts, Hand Weaving Museum, and Contemporary Craft. She is a recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Ohio Council for the Arts. Recent artist residencies include The Chautauqua Institutes Artist Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Praxis TC2 Residency, and Berea College Artist Residency. Campbell currently lives and works in Northeast Ohio.