This past Friday I had the opportunity to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. It was a very interesting to see different styles and techniques across mixed medias. There were over a hundred stands so I didn’t get a chance to look at all of them, but there were a few that I did see that left an impression on me and inspired me to write about my experience there.

The one stand that I went to was selling glass orbs that looked like they contained small galaxies. They actually contain precious metals such as gold, silver, and even platinum. The metals are added to the glass just at the right temperature so that they mix smoothly together. The way that the orb is shaped allows it to look like it is bigger on the inside. They had different series of orbs such as spiral and planets.

Another stand had jewelry that was 3D printed. The jewelry was completely made out of nylon and was light weight. The artist got the inspiration after she experienced genetic hearing loss. She based her designs on sound waves and how they would look. She even created an earring cuff design inspired by the shape of an hearing aid.

The last stand that I want to talk about was selling wearable chain maille. Each link has to be laid out and connected by hand. Depending how big the piece is it can take a few weeks to a month to complete. The artist made anything from scarves and gloves to shirts and skirts out of chain maille. Depending on the piece it could take a few weeks to a few months to complete.