Thursday, February 08, 2007
Craftworkers carve growing niche in state's economy
Craftworkers carve growing niche in state's economy
Dave Kober carves extraordinary fish decoys. Edmund Whitepigeon passes on his basket-making technique to his daughter-in-law. And Edna Harbison sells her hand-sewn quilts at her Ontonagon store.
What do these people have in common? They are part of the rich heritage of an under-the-radar group of Michiganians: craftworkers.
From the state's 35 weaving guilds to an East Lansing-based store that is the nation's leading seller of a high-end Swedish sewing machine, craft production is big business, according to a study released today by Michigan State University Museum and the state Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Study authors think there could be tens of thousands of crafters in Michigan.
Labels: distributism, Michigan, traditional skills
