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Festival Pavilion
"Increasingly, people want to feel connected to those
who make the jewelry and clothing they wear, the art they
display, and the objects they use every day." These words
are from Judy Stone, an El Cerrito enamelist who helped found
the Celebration of Craftswomen in 1979.
In its 26th year, the much heralded event – strategically
timed for holiday buying – has not only been a celebration
for women in art, it has also been a benefit for San Francisco’s
venerable Women’s Building, "a multicultural community
center where women and girls achieve self-sufficiency and
pursue their dreams."
 Visitors
will have the opportunity to see – and purchase if they
choose – contemporary and handcrafted work from as many
as 300 artists. Wood and metal sculpture, jewelry, clothing,
furniture, photography, and paintings are among the offerings.
The four-day event spans two weekends beginning November 19.
The lineup changes each weekend. These are juried shows, but
they provide opportunities, producers say, "to emerging
as well as established artists, and to women of color, older
women, lesbian, and bisexual women as well as immigrant women
whose work is high quality but might be overlooked by other
crafts fairs."
 The
Women’s Building houses 10 diverse community groups and
has helped launch more than 160 women’s programs and
initiatives in San Francisco.
"The Women’s Building, like the Celebration of Craftswomen,
ignites the spirit," said its executive director Teresa
Mejia. "It’s perfect that the fair showcases women
who produce beautiful work and simultaneously gives the community
the opportunity to help sustain the life-changing services
we provide to women and their families."
For more information, see the
November 19 calendar listing or visit www.womensbuilding.org.
– Ronald Tierney
Images: Painted Ceramic Tiles by Justine Tatarsky, Oil pastel
by Liz Collins, Pendant by Ellen Athens
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