By TODD OPPENHEIMER The nation’s largest non-profit facility dedicated to education in the industrial arts runs out of a seemingly…
How much do you know about the objects you surround yourself with in your everyday life? For most of us,…
As she hikes amongst limestone, pine, and the remains of Polish castles, Paulina Ciepał imagines holding it all in the…
It’s easy to see the world as a very troubled place these days, especially if, like us, you are based in the western United States. Record-breaking wildfires have become almost the new norm in this region, to say nothing of the growing vitriol between the political left and right, both here and abroad.
In southern Norway, in a small workshop at the bottom of a verdant, postcard-perfect valley, Annemor Sundbø gathers remnants, paintings, and authentic reproductions of traditional Norwegian sweaters. Her collections—along with her six books on the subject—provide a window into the myths and meaning that were long woven into this legendary Nordic craft. Now she’s trying to bring back the sheep that grew Viking Norway’s unusually hardy wool.
While countries like the U.S.—and Italy (outside San Patrignano)—have struggled with drug addiction, Portugal has crafted some of the most effective treatment programs in the world. In some ways, its success begins with appreciating, and rebuilding, the layers in a person’s spirit. And be forewarned, the first step is very controversial: de-criminalizing the drugs.
On the Northeastern coast of Italy, not far from meccas of refinement such as Bologna and Florence, an unusual drug treatment community named San Patrignano has grown and thrived for more than 40 years. The program’s methodology? Teach addicts high-level artisanal skills, and slowly but surely, confidence and pride fill what was once a desperate void.
Annemor Sundbø has dedicated her life to unearthing the myths and meaning behind Norwegian sweater traditions.
San Patrignano, a a 40-year-old community in Italy, uses craftsmanship to rehabilitate some of Europe’s most intractable drug addicts. And…
A Dutch archaeologist finds artisans and thought leaders who are redefining craft, skill and, ultimately, the real meaning of a…
“The Tale of a Women’s Coup: How the Indigenous Women of Michoacán overthrew a Criminal Cartel” – a mini-documentary produced…
