Fine Art & Craft: Where to Draw the Line

Is it fine art or is it craft? This is a much debated question that I’ve come back to over and over. On a personal level, this question has helped shape how I see myself and my own work. As a studio potter, I’ve often been called an artist but I’ve always called myself a craftsperson. This has led to many interesting conversations and continues to evolve for me over time. This not only informs how I view myself and my work, it also influences my approach to my work with Art-a-Fest.

Beautifully crafted woolen balls from Waku Waku in the Arts Center's Galleria. Art or craft?

When organizing a juried fine arts show like Art-a-Fest, the distinction between fine art and craft is more than a philosophical debate- it’s a real world decision. We review applications to make sure submissions align with the show’s guidelines before they are sent to the panel of judges. We are not looking to exclude talented makers. We are creating the best support possible for our participants and curating a specific experience for our audience.

To help understand where to draw the line between fine art and craft, let’s start with traditional definitions. Fine Art is categorized as aesthetic works that are created to express the artist’s feelings and/or ideas with little regard for monetary value or functional purpose. This usually includes the following mediums: painting, drawing and sculpture. Crafts are described as items that were created purely or partly for a specific functional purpose, and often for monetary gain. These include categories such as ceramics, glass, metal, wood and fiber.

Amazing oil pastel by Ann Bishop McGregor, a local artist.

In the past, artists created objects for aesthetic and intellectual reasons for the audience to ponder and admire. Sometimes these artists would be financially sponsored by a patron, freeing them from economic concerns. Crafts-persons, on the other hand, while often just as skilled and artistic, were anonymous laborers making goods for everyday life and relying on the sale of these goods to survive.

Anonymous laborer... craft or art?

These definitions have always been fluid, depending on the cultural values of a certain place and time. This is complicated by our contemporary definitions that now consider traditional craft mediums as fine art. Fine art has expanded to include photography, fiber, ceramics, glass, metal and wood. This has blurred the lines of the traditional definitions even further. If you would like to learn more about this hot debate check out this TEDed video:

Great video! Click here to watch.

I do believe this expansion to include crafts is appropriate and necessary. Regardless of the medium, it takes talent and skill, in any given technique, to make a beautiful item. Whether it’s a paintbrush and canvas or wool fiber and a loom, the creative process requires imagination and design. At its core, all of it is art.

A great book that challenges traditional concepts about beauty and art, I recommend it!

Now that I’ve gone through the definitions of fine arts and crafts, lets discuss how to draw the line and how we apply that at Art-a-Fest. This is not an easy or clear-cut process. We often see work that overlaps this line, sometimes it even criss-crosses the line! What makes a piece belong in a fine arts show isn’t just the medium, but the intention behind the work, the originality of the design, and the story or emotion it conveys. These are the elements that make a well-made object appropriate for a Fine Arts show. We also have to take the context into consideration: how will this resonate with our audience?

Here for artists and our audience!

Different shows draw different markets, so audience expectations play a significant role for Art-a-Fest. Our audience tells us what they’re looking for and we take that feedback seriously. Each year after our event we send out surveys to understand what worked and what didn’t. Last year we received several comments that too many crafts were included at Art-a-Fest. This made us reevaluate our guidelines. This is not to say that crafts lack value, but rather that the audience is seeking something different. 

The line between fine art and craft is not actually a line, but more of a gradient shaped by intent, execution and context. Differentiating between the two may not be easy, but it’s essential to the work we do and to the art we celebrate. At Art-a-Fest we recognize that artistry exists in many forms.  Our goal is not to exclude, but to honor skill, creativity and the artist’s voice in the best possible setting for both the artists and the attendees.

My art filled office, I love this job!