{"id":6982,"date":"2026-06-17T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=6982"},"modified":"2026-06-17T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T16:00:00","slug":"state-fairs-growing-american-craft-surveys-agriculture-ingenuity-and-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=6982","title":{"rendered":"\u2018State Fairs: Growing American Craft\u2019 Surveys Agriculture, Ingenuity, and Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u2018State<\/p>\n

One of the most enduring traditions in the U.S. is undoubtedly the state fair. The very first<\/a> was held in Syracuse, New York, in 1841, and throughout the mid-19th century, states launched their own unique takes. Some of the largest and busiest<\/a>, such as those in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, have been running just about as long as the states have existed. And it\u2019s no coincidence that some of the most well known and beloved events, which usually take place in the late summer or early autumn, represent the nation\u2019s agricultural heartlands.<\/p>\n

The exhibition State Fairs: Growing American Craft <\/em>at the Smithsonian American Art Museum\u2019s Renwick Gallery<\/a> celebrates the unique crafts and customs of these annual festivals. From cows sculpted out of butter and 4-H contests to seed art and crazy foods, ingenuity is as much a part of the tradition as showcasing time-honored farming practices, rural culture, industry, and of course, arts and crafts.<\/p>\n

\"a
Linda Nez, \u201cCarnival\u201d (1992), commercial yarn. Collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Minnesota State Fair is particularly well known for its seed art<\/a>, which consists of tableaux made entirely of grains and seeds that are cultivated in the state. Artists often translate famous artworks using a variety of crops, and portraits of celebrities are another popular subject. When submitted for consideration, artists must supply a \u201clegend card\u201d that demonstrates which seeds they used.<\/p>\n

The Renwick Gallery show highlights more than 240 objects and artworks, from elaborate contemporary jewelry pieces to historic quilts to a rhinestone rodeo outfit. A contemporary mixed-media resin necklace by artist and jewelry designer Morgan Hill<\/a> celebrates treats and pastimes, while a geometric weaving by Agueda Mart\u00ednez (1898-2000) highlights the extraordinary craft of Southwest tapestry blanket weaving.<\/p>\n

Growing American Craft <\/em>is the first large-scale survey of state fair creativity of its kind, representing 43 states and Tribal Nations. \u201cRibbon-winning artworks and engaging craft demonstrations illuminate the lives of the artists\u2014their families, memories, honors, and struggles,\u201d the museum says.<\/p>\n

Part of the show\u2019s aim is to highlight the pride, resilience, and inventiveness of rural communities, dashing stereotypes in the process and illuminating how fairgrounds are woven into the social fabric of the U.S. Visitors encounter a wide range of unique interpretations of state fair events, such as a pyramid of more than 700 glass jars of preserved fruits and vegetables by canner extraordinaire Rod Zeitler.<\/p>\n

\"a
Linda Paulsen, \u201cDolly Parton\u201d (2007). Courtesy of the artist and John Colton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crops themselves take center stage in many of the works, including an elaborate sweetgrass basket by South Carolinian artist Corey Alston<\/a>, who draws on the Gullah Geechee basket traditions to weave remarkably imaginative designs. And Justin Favela<\/a> has also reimagined the palatial Rubenstein Grand Salon into an immersive space titled \u201cCapilla de Maiz (Maize Chapel).\u201d The walls are fringed with gold and pi\u00f1ata corncobs, tapping into the role of maize<\/a> in America throughout several millennia.<\/p>\n

State Fairs: Growing American Craft <\/em>continues through September 7 in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian has also produced a beautiful catalogue to accompany the show, which you can find on Bookshop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a
Linda Paulsen, \u201cDolly Parton\u201d (detail)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"an
Agueda Mart\u00ednez, woven cotton cloth on cotton yarn warp (1994). Collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"an
Grace Snyder, \u201cFlower Basket Petit Point quilt\u201d (1942-1943), cotton. Courtesy of Nebraska History Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"an
Corey Alston, \u201cFrom Traditional to Contemporary\u201d (2021), sweetgrass. Collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of Carolyn L. Mazloomi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Peggie L. Hartwell, \u201cOde to William and Annie Tyler\u201d (2022), cotton fabric, batting, and thread. Courtesy of
McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Margarita Cabrera, \u201cArbol de la Vida\u2013John Deere Tractor Model #790\u201d (2007), clay, slip paint, latex acrylic and metal hardware<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Morgan Hill, \u201cSmorgasbord\u201d (2024), holly, resin, silk thread, paint, steel, and sterling silver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Installation view of \u2018Justin Favela: Capilla de Ma\u00edz (Maize Chapel)\u2019 (2025), Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Photo by Albert Ting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Liz Schreiber, \u201cState Fairs: Growing American Craft\u201d (2024-2025), various seeds and flower petals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article \u2018State Fairs: Growing American Craft\u2019 Surveys Agriculture, Ingenuity, and Community<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the most enduring traditions in the U.S. is undoubtedly the state fair. The very first was held in Syracuse, New York, in 1841, and throughout the mid-19th century,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6982\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}