Craftsmanship

Inside a former silk weaver’s workshop in Lyon, France, a carpenter and trained musician is breathing new life into an instrument that was on the brink of extinction in his country: the alphorn. In today’s episode, we’ll hear about this modern-day maker of the alphorn, which was used for centuries to summon livestock, or send messages across vast alpine valleys. “A Man on an Unusual Mission: Bringing the Alphorn Back to France” was written and narrated by Anna Richards. Read the ...

When we’re engrossed in watching a movie, most of us don’t pay close attention to all of the sounds playing in the background. But what we hear subconsciously is often what makes films feel “real”—water rushing in a stream, the clink of ice in a glass, footsteps, the crackle of dry branches underfoot. Since the early days of cinema, Foley artists have been creating these kinds of acoustic layers by hand, using everyday objects, movement, and deep listening. In today's story, “Making Noise: T...

Quilting, which is so often treated as a “domestic” art or folk art, is a serious craft— and a serious business. Today’s featured story profiles a master artisan who has been part of the modern quilting movement for more than four decades. The Uncommon Quilts of Joe Cunningham" was written and narrated by Jeff Greenwald. You can read the original story at https://craftsmanship.net/field-notes/the-uncommon-quilts-of-joe-cunningham/ This is the Craftsmanship podcast, a series about the artisa...

The work of David Drake, or “Dave the Potter,” commands eye-popping prices at art auctions. Drake (c. 1801-1870) was a formerly enslaved Black American ceramicist who would become one of the most famous names in Edgefield pottery. He signed his own pots and sometimes inscribed them with a poem, defying the strict anti-literacy laws of the time. Contemporary ceramicists are continuing a long legacy of Black Americans working in clay, and finding new ways to tell their stories. This audio...

India’s artisans are often knowledge-keepers of centuries-old craft traditions. But they face an uncertain future. In this episode of the Craftsmanship podcast, writer Laura Fraser looks at some of the ongoing efforts to support these master artisans before their skills fade into history. Laura Fraser's article, “The Fragility of India’s Artisan Communities,” was originally written for Craftsmanship magazine. This audio version was narrated and produced by Pauline Bartolone. Craftsmanship...