Craft is functional or decorative artwork created by hand using traditional and current techniques.

Many craft artists train with skilled teachers though some are self-taught. These artists make one-of-a-kind objects and small series in their studios or produce larger quantities in collaboration with manufacturers. In this gallery, you can see examples in clay, glass, metal, and wood.

The artworks here highlight the diversity and talent of American artists from the 1980s to the present. The Museum has collected and exhibited craft since 1909. Our 1910 Modern American Pottery exhibition was among the first presented by an American museum.

Donté Hayes, Oracle, 2020. Stoneware, 10 x 8 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm) Purchase 2021 Mrs. C. Suydam Cutting Bequest Fund | 2021.3.1 Photo by Richard Goodbody 

Adebumni Gbadebo, Memory of William Ravenel Sr. 1860‑1953 RIP, 2021. Clay and human hair from Linda Street and Juel Ferdinand. Purchase 2023 Barbara Harrison Wescott Fund | 2023.7 Photo by Richard Goodbody  

Cliff Lee, Celadon Prickly Melon, 2012 Porcelain, 13 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (34.3 x 19.1 cm) Purchase 2017 Felix Fuld Memorial Fund established by Arthur Lehman and W. Clark Symington Bequest Fund | 2017.49 Photo by Richard Goodbody 

Amy Roper Lyons, Plaids Ginghams and Twills: Trumpet Goblet, 2014. Silver, plique à jour enamel, 9 x 2 1/2 in. (22.9 x 6.4 cm) Purchase 2017 Helen McMahon Brady Cutting Fund | 2017.48.2 Photo by Richard Goodbody 

Adrian Saxe, Ampersand Teapot, 1988. Porcelain, 10 1/2 x 9 x 2 3/4 in. (26.7 x 22.9 x 7 cm) Gift of Garth Clark and Mark DelVecchio, 1989 | 89.88A,B

Artworks by 13 artists: 3 women and 10 men, including 6 African Americans, 1 Asian American, and 2 Native Americans.