BASIC CRAFT TECHNIQUES: FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

It started in a simple way. We were small and eager to learn how to make things. Basic craft skills that we were taught: gluing, knotting and wrapping produced amazing results to our young eyes and so easy to do. Yet as older adults, those once amazing techniques now may seem more banal, dull and elementary.

However for those with physical or cognitive issues, these basic craft techniques remain powerful ways to explore creativity. Although these people are often guided in projects that have minimal challenge yielding results that are also minimally interesting; this can be changed in ways that do not add complexity but does enhance results.

The first example of gluing which, by itself, is taken for granted because it is used so frequently. And then there is the magic of decoupage. Its origin is from Siberia with a 12^th century migration to China, and has been used in a wide variety of products. Starting with papers that could be found in the home (magazine pages, wrapping paper, and pictures) and Mod Podge glue, this is an inexpensive and easy craft that thrives on imagination.  Papers are placed single layer or multi layered on a porous surface (eg. wood, cardboard, canvas) to attractively decorate anything from a greeting card to a chest of drawers. With encouragement, curiosity and a flexible eye, these papers can produce unique patterns and color combinations that are hard to visualize in advance and so much more exciting to watch as it develops.

Knotting is a primitive technique and can be traced to 10,000 years ago.  Now we know the art of knotting as macramé and it also can be interpreted in the forms of knitting and crocheting.  There are opportunities to use basic knots to create simple projects that are exciting to develop.  For older adults with issues, a thicker element that is soft to the touch (eg. nylon) may be easier to work with than some fine hemp. One can also add beads and make a belt, bag or holder for a plant hanging.  In our everyday lives, we know that a men’s tie must be knotted to be worn and a hammock is a knotted fabrication for outdoor “seating”.  Artists have also used knotting in creative ways  for home items:  an artful chair designed by MarcelWanders is covered in epoxy resin for strength. Merrill Morrison works in a different way. She is an extraordinary fiber artist who works with small knots and says  "There is nothing like the tactile feel of the threads, as well as the rhythm of making knot after knot, until my shape takes form. I often incorporate beading to add luster and texture, which allows me a multitude of possibilities in surface embellishment."

And finally, wrapping is a wonderful way to combine elements and/or cover surfaces. If an element is wrapped in a linear way, it produces a effect called coiling and the coiling can be translated to an artful product to create anything from fashion accessories to sculpture. The late fiber artist Judith Scott was deaf, mute and had Downs Syndrome yet made amazing sculptures by wrapping diverse elements together. These sculptures are collectibles and now sell for many thousands of dollars. Another fiber artist, Sheila Hicks used coiling to create huge installations of art. She was the first fiber artist to take this very basic technique and elevate it in her art.

These basic craft techniques (and many others) require a short learning curve but the possibilities are endless.

I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for. - Georgia O'Keeffe

Accessibility of Visual Art

Art is for everyone to enjoy but not everyone has access to art. And it is not just about wheelchairs. That can be accommodated with physical solutions such as ramps, elevators and entries. There are many individuals who need special accessibility for visual arts and the solutions to offer this experience necessitates planning by the provider. Fortunately, organizations nationwide support the inclusive art community.


The National Arts and Disability Center is a project at the University of California in Los Angeles whose “mission is to promote the full inclusion of audiences and artists with disabilities into all facets of the arts community”. It is a robust resource for artists, administrators, policy makers, grantmakers and everyone interested in this area of service. In addition to hundreds of helpful web pages, it offers networking and technology assistance for specialized groups.

Many museums offer unique programs to encourage the less able bodied to view their collections. These programs are designed to provide an intellectual understanding of a visual experience that will encourage the participant to think about art and his/her world. Often they will learn about the hurdles that artists have met and how they persevered to continue making art. In addition, an important auxiliary aspect of these programs is socialization. These participants usually lead isolated lives and in a program they become part of a group, have the opportunity to talk with others and interact with museum professionals who encourage questions and responses. For many, this experience will continue to resonate and provide fodder for conversation and further reflection.

In 2006, The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City, with support from the MetLife Foundation, established the program Meet Me at MOMA which is held monthly and is free of charge. Designed to provide interactive guided tours with dialogue and discussion for Alzheimer patients, their family members and caregivers, its success has been nothing less than remarkable. As part of the comprehensive project, MOMA developed accessibility models that can be utilized by other museums as well as care giving facilities nationwide. There is also a joint venture with the NYU School of Medicine to measure the positive impact of art and health care for early stage Alzheimer patients and their caregivers. To "share, educate and inspire", Dr. John Zeisel and Sean Caulfield arrange free museum tours at different art sites locally and globally through Artz, (Artists for Alzheimers) which is an initiative under the Hearthstone Alzheimer’s Foundation.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides a range of inclusive workshops and gallery tours including a specialized “Discoveries” program for visitors with learning and developmental disabilities from age 6 and up. This is a popular and free program held on Sundays offers art making time as well as guided tour based on the theme for that week.

Accessibility is an important aspect of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s (PMA). mission to reach people with a range of disabilities including some people who may be unable to visit the museum At home and with the use of a basic phone line, participants who would not have physical access to the museum can participate in a free conference call to learn about art. This Art Talk service is facilitated by a trained Museum educator (docent) who references the pictorial booklet distributed prior to the call to discuss the art and encourage conversation. PMA also provides hands on workshops to legally blind adults combined with museum tours that provide visual descriptions with the opportunity to touch select objects . Laura Marmar, a PMA docent for the past 20 years, has guided accessible programs. She sees real needs in the community being met and the widening of art accessibility through specialized programs managed by PMA’s extraordinary outreach.

For additional information about art accessibility in your area, contact the museums and galleries directly. Many of these institutions are funded to provide this public service and welcome the opportunity to extend the art experience to individuals and groups in their community.


I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
-Helen Keller