In 2018, the American Swedish Institute presents a suite of exhibitions and programs exploring the theme, The Handmade. These projects delve into relevant and timely issues increasingly reflected in the handmade forum - from the old world to the new, and from the traditional to the contemporary, examining intersections among local and global, identity, heritage and sustainability.

The year kicks off with CraftBOWL (Jan 20 - Apr 8), an exhibition project that explores vessel design and craft traditions represented through varied mediums of handcraft - from wood, to glass, to ceramics - as practiced in Sweden and around the world.

The exhibition includes four installations and explores the work and careers of three established Swedish masters in their respective fields: Jögge Sundqvist and Bertil Vallien, and Swedish national treasure Ingegerd Råman. Through the craft movements they have inspired globally, we offer a sense of the Swedish cultural values and milieu that give rise for a respect for, and the intimate understanding of the handmade.

101 Bowls
101 Bowls is an ambitious, wildly creative and one-of-a-kind collage of local and international handmade vessels that showcase the work of more than 101 different artists and organizations that ASI intersects with. It includes works in many mediums, and many organizations and institutions, including vessels that represent the work of The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies - Hemslöjden, the American Craft Council and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, for example. The installation showcases ASI's connection with the networks that foster and propagate handmade diversity.

Bowls for Open Arms
Bowls for Open Arms is an installation co-presented by regional craft organizations advocating for the advancement of the handmade - The American Swedish Institute, FOCI Center For Glass Arts, Northern Clay and American Woodturners Association. Each organization presents a selection of handmade bowls that will be available for purchase , with proceeds going to Open Arms of Minnesota, a nonprofit that cooks and delivers free, nutritious meals to people living with life-threatening illnesses in the Twin Cities.

Special Thanks
This project was produced by the American Swedish Institute, with support from the Anne Ray Foundation, Barbro Osher Pro Sucia Foundation, and Karin Larson.