Green Spreads to Arts and Crafts

The effort of the world to become more green has spread uniformly. Green is the way of the future and everyone these days knows that. From the way we travel with bamboo toothbrushes, buy vintage clothes and banned plastic straws. Whether it’s food, fashion or home items we are all becoming more aware, however, the lastest green initiative has come from an unexpected source: the world of arts and crafts. 

The International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design, Collect, will have its 16th craft fair at Somerset House for the first time this year beginning February 27. 

The cause-related theme of a portion of the fair will touch on subjects such as climate change, our interactions with nature and dementia represented throughout the galleries and the craftwork.

Similar to popular artist Paulo Grangeon’s 1,600 Pandas, giant pandas made of paper mache placed in several public places to warn about climate change’s impact on endangered animals, this year’s independent craft and design artists will have 12 installations featuring climate change. These independent artists, who had to enter to win a spot to feature their art in the fair,  have collaborated to create these pieces and have decided on the importance of climate change as their fundamental inspiration.   

Collect, created in 2004, is the only modern gallery fair designed for modern arts and crafts to elevate the sales for collectible craft and bring recognition to international artists.  

“The appetite for contemporary craft continues to increase as seen by the number of new galleries emerging,” Collect Fair Director Isobel Dennis said. 

One of the new and redesigned galleries has art students getting in on the action of sustainability as well. Whitworth, an art gallery partnered with the University of Manchester, won a 2014 Global Action Plan award for its green policy. This is one of the very few art galleries focused on sustainability, a movement that is growing in popularity.  

Collect typically includes over 400 artists and has over 40 galleries which include glasswork, woodwork and ceramic work among many others. The prices range from £1,000 Great British Pounds to well into the  £100,000s and pieces are often bought by interior designers, museums, private citizens and art collectors making it a very large art fair capable of reaching many audiences about sustainability in art. 

“We are proud to be supporting Collect for the third year running, particularly in this exciting moment when craft is being re-evaluated across the world,” said Jonathan Anderson, Loewe Foundation Creative Director, which is a sponsor for Collect. 

The craft fair runs from February 27 to March 1 and general admission is £23 Great British Pounds. 

Being a trendsetting craft fair, Collect, has its sights sets on becoming more sustainable with the showcasing of a climate-change portion of the gallery and will help spread the word of the arts meshing with a green world.