Almost Lost Arts: Traditional Crafts and the Artisans Keeping Them Alive

October 16, 2019
Emily Freidenrich, Author and Journalist
Josh Luke and Meredith Kasabian, Founders, Best Dressed Signs
Margaret Shepherd, Calligrapher and Author
Narayan Khandekar, Director, Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, and Senior Conservation Scientist, Harvard Art Museums

What does it mean to be a maker, artist, or artisan in the twenty-first century? In her new book, Almost Lost Arts (Chronicle Books, 2019), Emily Freidenrich explores the work of twenty artisans from points worldwide who practice their craft using traditional techniques and analog technologies. Three Boston-based artists who specialize in calligraphy and handmade signs will engage in a conversation with Freidenrich and museum curator Narayan Khandekar to discuss the rewards and challenges of using slow, intentional processes in a fast-paced digital world, and to explore the significance of the human presence in objects or artwork.