i + D - November/December 2020 - 46

The Art & Craft of Surviving 2020 - By Jessica Goldbogen Harlan

Shaping the Future
There have been some success stories to come out of this
bleak year: Certain types of artisans have been in the right place
at the right time. " Those people who were in the sweet spot of
home décor, like storage baskets, are really big right now, " says
Barkume. Also, textile workers have shifted their production to
beautiful handmade masks or marketed woven floor mats as an
attractive wall hanging, ideal for Zoom backgrounds.
" I think this year will have a long-term impact, for sure, " says
Barkume. " People who have focused on just one type of
customer or one channel will think twice about doing that again.
And I think we'll see the markets be more democratized-more
people will be able to find different suppliers and will be more
open to working with different artisans. "
Certainly, this year has helped customers of all kinds become
more comfortable with shopping online, even for items as
special and personal as crafts. " I think we were already headed
in that direction, and that's not going to go backwards from this
point, " says Black. " People are becoming comfortable with
purchasing craft online, and for craft artists, there's no boundary
to who you can reach on the internet. As long as you're
discoverable, you're able to connect. "

Adds Carey, " I'm more hopeful than I've been in a while. We're
looking right now with our fellow arts advocates for a series of
policy proposals for the new [presidential] administration. This
year has pointed out the fact that we have to pay a lot more
attention to the self-employed workers of this country. I see
this as a positive thing going forward. "
And Carey also has high hopes for the continued opportunities
for interior designers and materials-based artists to work together.
" I can already see how people are gravitating towards materials
at times like this-the need for connection, the interest in
learning how to make things, " she says. " When there is so little
in our world that we can control, people are drawn to materials.
And there are whole communities, such as in Brooklyn, where
people are congregating around making things-whether it
be handmade knives, or furniture, or food items. People may be
living a lot more locally in the future and understanding who's
in their neighborhood making things. "

" I'm more hopeful than I've been in a while.
We're looking right now with our fellow arts
advocates for a series of policy proposals for
the new [presidential] administration. This
year has pointed out the fact that we have to
pay a lot more attention to the self-employed
workers of this country. I see this as a
positive thing going forward. "
- CORNELIA CAREY, CERF+

Glass artist Kazuki Takizawa,
who was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder, uses his craft
to bring attention to mental
health. After a 2016 fall that
fractured his wrist, he was
unable to blow glass for about
six months. Assistance from
CERF+ helped him through
the tough time.
(Image: CERF+)

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378_025_i+D Nov.Dec 2020_V4.indd 46

JESSICA GOLDBOGEN HARLAN
has written about the home furnishings
industry for more than 20 years, and her
work has appeared in HFN, Town &
Country, Stylus, TastingTable.com,
ALLRECIPES.COM, AmericasMart
magazine, and Yahoo! A culinary-school
graduate, she also is the author of nine
cookbooks, including Ramen to the Rescue,
Mason Jar Lunches, and The Little Book
of Takoyaki.

i+D - November/December 2020

2020-11-25 11:12

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i + D - November/December 2020

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