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The Art of Repair
In a culture addicted to novelty and fast profits, the humble art of repair has declined almost to the point of extinction. But it’s not too late: In this issue, we delve into the history of planned obsolescence, and the...
The Music Makers
There may be no other craft that lends itself to infinite experimentation more than music—an endeavor that has nursed human creativity ever since the earliest days of the Stone Age, on every continent and in every culture. This summer,...
The Future of Craftsmanship
Look at almost anything you own of real quality, and you immediately see its maker’s commitment to beauty, functionality, and longevity. Those values, which in our mind define works of craftsmanship, are being aggressively tested...
The New Stone Age
When humans first embarked on their incessant quest for innovations, they began tinkering with little more than the rocks and stones at their feet. The Stone Age endured for more than 2 million years, and the stonework remains of...
Native American Craft: The Southwest
In our first issue on Native American craft, we look at the unusually rich and varied craft traditions of some of the Southwest’s Indigenous tribes. These communities rarely let outsiders see much of their cultural practices, but...
The Craft of Resilience
Given our mounting travails these days (climate disruption, ongoing pandemic, worsening summer wildfires, among others), we’re focusing this summer on pioneers who are rising to these challenges. From indigenous people in Mexico...
The Soil Saviors
One of biggest influences on our daily lives arises from a fundamental paradox: As the Earth’s population continues to grow, its natural resources shrink. Foremost among our dwindling resources is fresh water, and the main...
Reviving Our Abandoned Small Towns
Across the U.S., our rural communities have become littered with boarded up shops and decaying homes. Many communities that were once centers of manufacturing are now known more as centers of unemployment and opioid addiction, with...
The Future of Clothing
We buy 60 percent more clothes these days than we did a decade ago, and we keep them half as long. To feed this demand, polyester and other synthetics have become almost ubiquitous, leaving a trail of pollutants that’s almost...
A Sense of Place
As the world re-opens from Covid, some of us will travel in search of specialty, must-taste foods or beverages; others for some rare handmade item, whether it be a fine guitar from Paracho, Mexico, or an ornate tablecloth from a tiny...
Metalwork's Eternal Allure
The heating and shaping of metals for human use—in simple tools, weapons, jewelry, and more—have propelled civilizations for a long time. Archaeologists have found evidence of basic copper smelting and smithing dating as far back as...
America’s Black Artisans and Innovators
Over the last year, America has experienced its most profound racial reckoning in decades. To do our part, we have dedicated our Winter issue, guest edited by Melanie Eversley, to the generations of creativity that Black Americans have...
The Magic of Wood
For thousands of years, wood has been a mainstay for humankind’s creations—for our tools and homes, the beds we sleep in, and the chairs we sit on; for our gardens, fences, and musical instruments; and for weapons as well as works of...
Craftsmanship’s Community
One of the blessings of a real community is that it can survive, even thrive, in the face of challenges. Such has been the case this year with musicians, chefs, and other artisans across the world. To honor their bravery, spirit, and...
Sheltering At Home Creatively
As the Covid virus sweeps through one country after another, orders to shelter in place are forcing all of us into a worrisome period of isolation. At a time like this, staying connected to activities that inspire us and make our days...
Creating a World Built To Last
Despite mounting evidence that our world is on an unsustainable course—illustrated most visibly by today’s accelerating climate disruptions—we see shreds of hope in individuals who are creating products and systems that are built...
Can America Make Things Again?
As manufacturing overseas has become widespread, it’s not uncommon to hear people complain that America doesn’t make things anymore. Yet in many areas of the country, economic creativity remains alive and well; it just faces...
Artisans of the World
For many countries, cultural identity is largely defined by the crafts their artisans have taken to uncommon levels of mastery. Think French cheese or Italian shoes. In this summer’s issue, we spotlight some of the less familiar:...
Education’s Lost Foundation
As change accelerates, the ways we learn, and adjust to challenges, have lost some of their moorings. Our Spring issue explores how craftsmanship’s principles of creativity and patience can help prepare tomorrow’s...
The Craft of Community - Part Two
In our second look at The Craft of Community, we explore how worker-owned co-ops can combat income inequality. We also bring back a story from our Archives about an initiative to rebuild trust between today’s hyper-polarized...
The Craft of Community - Part One
Daily life is changing drastically these days because of a volatile new combination: climate disruption, rising population pressures, and the unbridled spread of technology. In the chaos that results, the basic human need for a sense...
Tomorrow’s Apprentices
Almost every profession has involved some system of apprenticeship, and mastery rarely occurs without it. While some countries have kept this time-honored tradition alive, others have let it fade. We look across the globe at how some...
The Artisans of the Automation Age
As technology spreads, opportunities for craftsmanship are growing in some unlikely places. Welcome to our series on “Craftsmanship and the Future of Work.” In this debut issue, we look into the forces behind today’s...
Gifts Made to Last
The wafts of consumerism in the air during the holidays are almost impossible to avoid. But there are honorable ways to embrace them, through gifts designed to last a lifetime, and sometimes longer. Welcome to our Winter issue, which...
Fashion’s Bi-Polar Future
As prices on mass-market clothing drop, and the amount many of us buy continually rises, we can’t help asking: Is eco-fashion really possible? Maybe, but not in the ways you might expect. Welcome to our Fall issue, and discover the...
The Masters of Food & Drink
In the peak of summer, what’s better than a slow-cooked meal, cold beer, and fine ice cream? To answer that question, we’re revisiting some of our favorite masters of food and libations. We begin with three: Paula Wolfert, who...
The Art of the Word
In today’s overwrought political climate, both in the U.S. and abroad, it can seem as though our capacity for intelligent dialogue has disappeared. Mystified by this trend, we dedicate this issue to how we use language—to understand...
The Water Innovators
With U.S. commitments to managing climate change wobbling under the new administration, the time for innovation at what is literally the world’s grass roots is upon us. Come meet a collection of fascinating water pioneers—in Australia,...
The Architecture of Ingenuity
Over the years, the time that both children and adults devote to playing with real stuff—cardboard and crayons, hammers and nails, leather and machine parts—has dwindled almost to extinction. In our Fall issue, we visit people who are...
The Arts of Summer
Now that the heat of summer has finally arrived, we can’t help thinking about the craftsmanship of fun. Seriously. To that happy end, we dedicate this issue, first, to a romp through the world of fine bicycles and some efforts to...
Made in America?
You see it everywhere now—in tags and marketing campaigns for everything from wallets to clothes to cars. If it’s “Made in America,” by definition it’s supposed to be good, if not superior to foreign competitors. But is it really? Many...
When Toys Get Real
The holidays can make us feel like we’re filling our lives with more junk, so this issue focuses on real toys: building kits for girls, toy theatres, and the outlandish masks that inspire Venice’s legendary Carnival. We also follow a...
The Art of Alcohol
Something about alcohol seems to inspire creativity. American rum, Mexican mezcal, even our old friend, wine, are each being re-invented. Some of these innovations are purely hedonistic, while some are driven by the limits of our...
The Sound of Experimentation
While experiments are at the heart of inspiration in music, some of the discipline’s artists push the boundaries more than others. In this issue, we introduce you to a collection of master innovators who have tinkered in corners of the...
The Culinary Frontier
As the world gets hotter and drier, we have a unique opportunity: Start growing drought-friendly foods, and enjoy the ignored but luscious methods of cooking they inspire. Welcome to our examination of this sorely neglected frontier,...
Cultivating Craftsmanship
The agrarian philosopher Wendell Berry once said that “a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.” In today’s rapidly warming world, agricultural craftsmanship is more challenging than ever. That’s...
