Why Handmade
Craft?
Craft Company
No.6 is committed to featuring HANDMADE American and Canadian Fine
Craft. The reasons for this stem from Gary's and my passion and lifetime
involvement with handmade craft.
I remember as a child
always wanting to “make something” and I would start my day thinking, “What can
I make today?” My favorite gifts were jewelry making kits, paint sets, coloring
books, Lincoln logs and any sort of art supply. This was the beginning of my
career in “craft” and the start of my appreciation for “handmade.” I moved up to
making doll clothes and then clothes for myself. In college I majored in
clothing design and construction with plans to work in the fashion industry.
Life’s path led me to
Rochester and eventually RIT’s School for American Crafts. This is where I
met my husband and partner, Gary Stam who introduced me to fine craft. We
started a woodworking business together and our career in American craft was
launched. We exhibited our handmade wooden accessories at
American Craft Council shows where craft gallery buyers came to shop for their stores. Being a craft
artisan is not only a business, but also a lifestyle and we love the lifestyle.
I had not been exposed to
fine craft prior to being involved in craft shows as an exhibiting craft artisan.
At these shows I saw so many wonderful things that I loved and I was amazed by
the talent and skill of my fellow craftspeople. I would walk the show whenever I
could escape from our booth and it did not take long for me to realize I wanted
a craft gallery of my own. The idea of presenting these wonderful art objects to
our local community really excited both Gary and me. So, we began our search for
the perfect location and fell in love with a Victorian firehouse that was meant
to be ours.
Restoring the firehouse
was the biggest craft project of our career. It was a labor of love that took
many years to complete. The combination of contemporary craft objects displayed
in the vintage building with so many artistic details was a mix that really
worked. Like the craft artists we represent we crafted a business and a
lifestyle that is uniquely ours.
The uniqueness of
handmade craft objects is what I consider to be their greatest appeal. Even
though an artist may make a thousand mugs, each will be unique in some tiny way.
The fact that craft objects may not be perfect is part of their appeal for me. I
will choose the bowl that may not be perfectly round for that very reason. Like
humans, they are not perfect but beautifully unique in their own way.
When you buy a handmade
art object (craft) you are also getting a piece of the artist’s soul. Those who
value handmade are usually eager to know about the artist that made their piece
and they value the skill and passion that went into its creation. I think of
handmade pieces as having life, unlike “stuff” that is mass-produced by machines
and basically untouched by human hands during the creation process.
I know handmade is not
important to everyone, but to many, collecting special handmade craft objects is a
passion and a craft in itself. These people are as important to the contemporary
craft movement as the craft makers who could not stay in business without them.
It is the role of craft-galleries like Craft Company No.6 to connect the craft
artist with the collectors who value their creations. It is our great joy to
select special art objects from skilled craftspeople to present to our craft
connoisseur customers.
Lynn Allinger
President/Founder
P.S. That's us with our
"kids" Harry and Marge in the Craft Company cabin.
If you are interested in seeing Gary's and my latest craft project
click on this
link to our Bus-Conversion.
If you are interested in
learning more about the
American or Canadian craft movement and “handmade”
here
are some links that you might enjoy.
