Craftsmanship Quarterly: Latest Stories
Summer 2022 - The Craft of Resilience
Straw Bale Construction: The Ultra-Ecological House
Every few years, discussions about using straw bales as a building material come up again. As our environmental challenges mount—from wildfires to hurricanes—straw bales seem to offer a sustainable answer. And as we in the American West seem to find ourselves in "fire season" earlier with each passing year, it’s time to ask: Has the humble straw bale's moment finally come?
By MEA MCNEIL
New Field Notes
Shrine and the Art of Resilience
Pandemic, political strife, poverty, war. In times of extreme upheaval—global or personal—can the act of art-making ease suffering and strengthen…
Written by MELINDA MISURACA
The Little Block-Printing Workshop that Could
“A rising tide doesn’t raise people who don’t have a boat. We have to build the boat for them. We…
Written by RUTH ALDEN WICKER
The Craft of Reclamation: Sustainable Addiction Recovery in Appalachia
In Appalachian Ohio, craftsmanship is a vital piece of the growing support system for recovery—philosophically, economically, and on a very…
Written by JACK SHULER
Photography by ANDREW FEIGHT
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Podcasts
Listen to “The California Mirage”
The blind spots in the American West’s approach to managing water are on full display in Ventura County, a coastal…
Written by CRAWFORD COATES Narrated by CHRIS EGUSA
Listen to “Mezcal’s Dance with Extinction”
Now that the tequila craze has crested, the latest Latin liquor to capture the world’s alcoholic imagination is tequila’s grandfather:…
Written by GRACE RUBENSTEIN Narrated by GRACE RUBENSTEIN
Listen to “The Vegetable Detective”
It’s 2015, and in the health and wellness world, the Kale Craze is in full swing — people are eating,…
Written by TODD OPPENHEIMER Narrated by Göran Norquist
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Videos
Watch “The Art of the Hat”
An homage, in film, to a third-generation Italian artisan—the last maker of the traditional, handcarved wooden shapes that are used…
By LUISA GROSSO
Watch “Mike Morgan’s Quest to Make Traditional Skin Boats”
Mike Morgan’s fascination with small, traditional watercraft dates back to the ’80s. Building on his decades of experience as a…
By MIKE MORGAN, SIMON MORRIS, and JERRY CROSS
Watch “The Ancient Mangle of Santarcangelo di Romagna”
In a tiny town on Italy’s Northeastern coast, the Marchi family printworks may be the world’s last shop to produce…
By LUISA GROSSO
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