Located on Los Angeles’ historic Miracle Mile since 1965, Craft Contemporary reveals the potential of craft to educate, captivate, provoke, and empower.
Our Mission
With a focus on contemporary art made from craft media and processes, Craft Contemporary presents dynamic exhibitions by established and emerging artists and designers who are often underrepresented in larger art institutions. Through a robust roster of regular programs and events, Craft Contemporary offers creative opportunities for the public to participate in hands-on workshops led by professional artists. Craft Contemporary cultivates an environment for people in Los Angeles to deepen their relationship to art, creativity, and one another.
Craft Contemporary is special because it is a place to both see art and make art. Tying into exhibitions, Craft Contemporary coordinates a robust roster of hands-on workshops led by professional artists and instructors. The museum is a place where friends and families come to spark creativity, appreciate more fully what it means to craft something by hand, and feel how satisfying that can be. Craft Contemporary enjoys collaborating with community organizations throughout Los Angeles to draw artists and crafters from across the city together for work on group projects and for special events. It’s impossible to guess what extraordinary thing you will find here next.
This extends to the Craft Contemporary Shop, which features an expertly curated, ever-shifting array of beautiful handmade items from skilled artisans. The intimate, atypical museum space and independent spirit at Craft Contemporary combine to create an atmosphere of genuine
excitement and delight, where people in Los Angeles deepen their relationships to art, creativity, and one another. Step inside, and become a part of what’s happening at Craft Contemporary.
The Craft & Folk Art Museum is grateful for the dedicated Board of Trustees who continue to support and uphold the organization's mission.
Board Of Trustees
Richard Erickson — Board Chair
Nancy Adams
Jill Bauman
Lorraine Bonanni
Jane Chang
Joe Coriaty
Robby Gordon
Hal Hamersmith
Michael D. Johnson
Fred Kuperberg
Wally Marks III
George Minardos
Tim Mullin
Janice Pober
Stan Savage
Natasha Sedaghat
Glen Titan
Peter Wendel
We welcome nominees to our Board of Trustees.
Please contact Suzanne Isken, Executive Director to inquire about nomination procedures.
Our History
The museum began in 1965 as a gallery and café known as The Egg & The Eye, founded by Edith Robinson Wyle. Along with the newly formed Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Egg & The Eye was among the first art spaces to emerge on Miracle Mile. Arriving on the scene as the craft movement was burgeoning, the establishment quickly became a popular destination.
In 1973, the space transformed into the non-profit Craft & Folk Art Museum to reflect Wyle’s commitment to elevating global handcraft and folk art. The museum is known for supporting the early careers of artists Beatrice Wood, Sam Maloof, Peter Shire, and many others. A highlight of the museum’s eclectic programming from the 1970s to early 1990s was the annual Festival of Masks.
During the late 1980s, the building was closed for seismic retrofitting and renovation, and an interim shop designed by Gere Kavanaugh opened in 1989. In 1995, CAFAM reopened in a space transformed by architects Hodgetts + Fung.
Craft Contemporary presently encompasses 4,000 square feet of exhibition space and a ground floor shop that is a favorite destination for well-crafted gifts, jewelry, housewares, and more.
Gallery
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