Library in the Summer: Woodwork, Design & Craft Video Dictionary

This summer Craft in America invites you to the Center’s woodwork, furniture, and historic design exhibition. Our  Building Blocks: Process in Wood show highlights both regional and international artistry across cultures and time periods, focused on handworked wood fabrication. Complementing this dynamic show, we encourage visitors to learn more about our dynamic and educational  Craft Video Dictionary woodworking videos and library-magazine woodworking displays. 

Library Highlights on Woodworking

Our easy-access craft art library features regularly rotating displays, and our range of materials span from rare books, artist monographs, exhibition catalogs, art-magazines, to craft-techniques/technical manuals.

This summer’s featured woodworking books on display range from the 18th Century  American Shakers woodworking and legacy designs, to American Mid-Century Modern legacy schools of woodworking (a la The Furniture of Sam Maloof, header image), to more internationally renown sculptural/vessel focused approaches to wood fabrication (a la Keiko Hirohashi’s design book Wood Package). We’ve also pulled woodworking periodicals dating back decades, including magazine runs from 1970’s-2020’s American Craft, 1980’s Woodworker’s Journal, 1980’s Fine Homebuilding, Fine Woodworking 1980’s-90’s, Woodworker West (2007-2023), and more — all previewed below!

The American Shakers and Their Furniture in (1982) black and white format, boasts fascinating historic perspectives on this ascetic, minimalist-design oriented religious community’s contributions to woodworking and design over the last 200 years. This book features dynamic, near timeless diagrams, measurements, and instructions for recreating their highly functional and visually stunning wood-based pieces centuries later. Nodding to this lineage, our Woodwork exhibition also features artist Ryan Taber’s Stofa Pattern #2 after Tony Smith’s Batcave 1969-1971 and the Shaker Super Heater, 1820-1830; made from White Pine.

Hand-caned geometric seat cushions found within The American Shakers and Their Furniture book, by John G. Shea
The American Shakers and Their Furniture book, (John G. Shea, 1982)
diagram and gridded measurement instructions for how to build a candle sconce-shelf from the book The American Shakers and Their Furniture, by John G. Shea
Greyscale photos of wooden spindle wheel, and various wooden desk and chair furniture photographed with notes; from The American Shakers and Their Furniture book
Greyscale photo of stretcher table photographed with diagram of measurements and fabrication notes; from The American Shakers and Their Furniture book
black matted Shaker-style wooden stove with 4 distinct legs
Ryan Taber’s Stofa Pattern #2 after Tony Smith’s Batcave 1969-1971 and the Shaker Super Heater, 1820-1830
greyscale photo of Hanging Dish Shelves diagram and measurements wooden shelf photograph; from The American Shakers and Their Furniture book

Wood Package, highlights innovative Keiko Hirohashi’s design and surreal woodwork. Much like Martin Alexander’s own cultural woodwork homage and nod to the playful interpretation of wood as both a sculptural and playfully reverent “Florecita” vessel, Hirohashi’s work explores whimsical and diasporic design of wood containers. Wood Package asks each viewer to consider how woodworking forms and their outer layers are just as important (vessels) as to what is housed within.

book cover of Wood Package by Keiko Hirohashi
Wood Package (Keiko Hirohashi, 1987)
multicolored, surreal colorful wood boxes with various wheels and bauble details; from Wood Package book, by Keiko Hirohashi
black and red/maple ornate figurine boxes in the shame of silhouettes, body parts, and jumping cats; from Wood Package book, by Keiko Hirohashi
more greyscale photos of finely carved wood boxes recessed as a "wall pocket" and as animal figurine forms
greyscale photos of Wooden curved ornamental delicately carved boxes photographed; from Wood Package by Keiko Hirohashi

Come visit us and browse our extensive craft library! With over over over 3000 books, exhibition catalogs, and more than 2000 periodicals dedicated to the art of craft and related topics — there’s something here to delight any curious reader. Come visit us this summer and explore the expansive world of craft art and woodworking!

Colorful magazine covers of Crafts, Woodwork, Fine Woodworking, and various Furniture woodworking journals
Periodical Sampling: Crafts, Woodwork, Fine Woodworking, and various Furniture woodworking journals

Craft Library Update: Special Collections + Back to School with Craft in America 

Despite these last couple weeks of lingering heat, things are feeling very autumnal and back-to-school at the Craft Center. Our Craft in Schools team led by (me) Sam Sermeño and LAUSD school partnerships have kicked into full force as we host teaching-artist workshops, art tours, and field trips. 

Lately, during field trips curious students have been asking me about our significant craft-art library, so we figure now is a good time to share some library announcements.

Special Collections

All are welcome to visit and browse our newly added Special Collections materials. Over the summer, thanks to generous art and literary patrons, we’ve integrated and catalogued four cubic feet of notable library donations. These recently added materials include books now blended into our general Dewey-Decimal organized shelves; along with a variety of niche art catalogs and unique artist paper ephemera found in our “Special Collections” labeled magazine boxes. 

As always, we invite all craft enthusiasts and the wider public to enjoy our current art exhibitions and to browse our in-house library. We’re happy to collaborate with artists, curators, and fellow art nerds in general craft research and information resourcing as well. Currently, our gallery/library space (previewed below) features an interactive/browsable display of magazines, books, and manuals around fiber arts connected to the work of our Fall 2023 Influences-Influencers: California Fibers Exhibition.

The library is open to the public: Tuesday – Saturday, from noon to 6pm.

The Craft in America Center Library includes over 3000 books, exhibition catalogs, and more than 2000 periodicals dedicated to the art of craft and related topics.  

For further library or Craft in Schools inquiry, please visit our Library page or contact Education Programs and Library lead sam@craftinamerica.org 

A glimpse of newly acquired "Special Collections" materials, featuring artist books, catalogues, and paper ephemera.
September-November Library Display of books and publications highlighting artists from Fall 2023’s California Fibers exhibition.