Crafts seen to reflect culture

Press, 7 March 1978, Page 7

Crafts seen to reflect culture

Craft work reflects the cultural I identity of a country and o Australia, the Government supports this theory i through its generous funding,! says fRo wen Lewis, the pre- j sideJt of the Crafts Council! of Aistralia. Mt Lewis, who lives in Adelaide is in Christchurch to ! opei the Arts Festival Natiorhl Crafts Exhibition at the] Robert McDougall Art Galery. The respect the Australian Government has for craft I work has grown dramatically and it now feels a responsi- i bility (for making grants to! the Crafts Council, said Mr, Lewis! “Until 1971. the situation was aoomv for craftspeople in Australia. However, after all tae crafts associations federied to form the Crafts Council, the Government has relieved many of the financial burdeps.” he said Thfl Crafts Council has a

membership of about 100,000.1 Mr Lewis has been a fibre sculptor for the last eight years. This involves crafts, such as crocheting and weav-i jing and working with' : materials such as jute. He has done some teaching and organised workshops, jin fibre sculpture, but this; has been neglected since he, was appointed president toj the Crafts Council, he said, i - ' “There has been a remarkable growth of interest in: craft work in Australia. In the past, most people have done some sort of craft, but,never thought of themselvesi as craftsmen. Now thev have -the opportunity, through the Crafts Council, to pursue their interests.” Mr Lewis was the Australian delegate to the world; crafts congress in Mexico in. 1976 and will probably re-j present Austra'ia at this! year’s congress in Japan/ This is his first visit to New Zealand.