I think we have just been insulted......
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Original Post
So a couple of weeks ago etsy was in the New Yorker. It wasn't a bad article. Basically it was about making things here in the good ol' US of A. A couple of sellers were mentioned (lucky them).
Well....I just got my recent issue of Ornament. There is an article about Lloyd Herman, director of the Renwick Gallery. And we here at etsy have been really insulted.....
He says and I quote: "...it is encouraging to see so many do-it-yourselfers making everything from quilts and knitted toys to jewelry and furniture....those would-be craftspeople, who buy their supplies to craft decorative items for their homes, may learn to appreciate the skills and talents of professionals and come to appreciate and even collect the work of professional craftmakers."
He goes on....."he also worries that many people today confuse what he calls "cyber-craft", meaning much of the work that is on websites such as Etsy.com, with studio craft. Cyber craft undermines the work of university-trained artists....things on Etsy tend to be on the cute side, not very challenging...I think of it as almost glue gun technology and it is usually not very good. From what I can see, most of the people on etsy are totally ignorant of the studio craft movement...
Is he kidding? Does he have any idea of the talented artists on here?
I was pretty pissed when I read that arrogant attitude. What does he say about the Gees Bend quilters? Were they professionals? Did they go to university to learn to quilt? I think not. Their art is from their hearts and hands.
Not everyone learns their art at the university.
The pomposity!
Sorry I just had to vent that one.
I will write to Ornament although they don't print letters.
Posted at 8:16pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
Responses
weekendjewelry1 says:
Thank you HappyTortoise Designs :-)
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Your welcome :) I think we have some very talented people here.
Posted at 8:28pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
There are plenty of extremely talented people here. I'm sure a lot of them were college trained as well.
Posted at 8:29pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
As dear old Dad used to say " The definition of a connoiseur is a glutton in a tuxedo"
When people with more money than brains are convinced by talentless creeps that no education=no ability, they deserve to overpay-Etsy is a wonderful place with differing levels of abilities, and pricepoints-there ain't nothin wrong with that...
Posted at 8:30pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
How utterly ridiculous! I am constantly amazed by the creativity and rich variety of Etsians. I salute you! Mr. Herman's mom raised a rude son!
Posted at 8:31pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
rubyfig says:
Galleries are closing at an alarming rate. He is the director of a gallery. 'nuf said. ;)
..............
Amen to that - fear of competition leads people to make wildly inaccurate claims about it.
Posted at 8:31pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
Hi TOTALLY feels threatened...that's quite obvious, seriously.
Posted at 8:31pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT
What a jerk. We don't want people like that here anyway! Way to support the arts!
Posted at 8:31pm Mar 31, 2009 EDT