Madam, – In Japan, we seasoned craftspeople would be designated as “national monuments”; here the Year of Craft is passing without acknowledgment of life-times of endeavour in pursuit of excellence.
Image, novelty, fashion, “flavour of the month” stuff is the pursuit of the Crafts Council. Geoffrey Healy, Michael Jackson, potters, Brian Clarke, goldsmith, Bernadette Madden, batik, here are some of our gurus of expertise and wisdom, authenticity, dedication and tenacity whose celebration would inspire, and affirm, the great swathe of well-trained young entrepreneur craftspeople in their current struggle to make a living and these are permanent life-long jobs which would enhance our culture and attract visitors to Ireland.
This is written in frustration, from my exhibition of 100 pieces of hand-thrown porcelain, hard-won, over the last two years and mounted to welcome the visiting international crafts delegates, none of whom I was introduced to by the Crafts Council when I attended the conference last Thursday.
Incidentally, I did not receive a reply from the Crafts Council to my invitation, nor did they come to my opening, nor as yet visit the show. I am a founder member of the Crafts Council, and have been potting for almost half a century. – Yours, etc,