Fine stitchery, ceramics, woodworking and folk arts — once disdained as too utilitarian or "women's work" — are among populist art forms now recognized for their expressive power. Here are additional opportunities to encounter them:
Material Mythologies
Using the traditional craft media of beads, metal, ceramics, glass and textiles, five American artists sculpt intricate objects that tell stories in unexpected form.
Ends April 3, free. Minnesota Museum of American Art, 141 E. 4th St., St. Paul. mmaa.org.
Tressa Sularz: Dancing My Way Home
Pushing beyond the elegant baskets for which she is nationally known, Minneapolis-based Sularz is now sculpting with thread, cane and beads, creating intimate abstractions suggestive of cocoons, shells, seed pods and the secret folds of the human body.
Ends April 30, free. Textile Center, 3000 University Av. SE., Mpls. 612-436-0464, textilecentermn.org.
Florilegium
Updating centuries of floral imagery, eight contemporary ceramic artists turn out platters, bowls and sculptural installations inspired by the symbolic and cultural significance of flowers.
May 6-June 26, free. Northern Clay Center, 2424 E. Franklin Av., Mpls. 612-339-8007, northernclaycenter.org.
American Craft Council: 2016 Show
High-styled and made by hand, contemporary jewelry, clothing, furniture, kitchenwares and more by 225 national artisans will be shown and sold in the Craft Council's premier Midwestern event.
