NEW YORK - Two hundred artists who create unique handmade objects that combine function with beauty will be honored in a major exhibition, Objects for Use: Handmade by Design, opening September 13 at the American Craft Museum. The artists represent 189 studios from all regions of the United States, and their work will be grouped according to use: Objects for Food and Dining, Objects for Interior Space, and Objects for Sports, Music and Play.

The dazzling array of more than 400 objects includes not only the expected - glass, baskets, quilts, chairs, cabinets and beds - but also the unexpected: trumpets, a split-cane fishing rod, harps, dogsleds, kites, teapots, kayaks, pianos, violins, knives, brooms, a saddles and a pair of snowshoes.

"This exhibition is the second in our series Defining Craft, in which the Museum seeks to identify and interpret all aspects of contemporary objects worldwide," says Holly Hotchner, Director of the American Craft Museum. "In this exhibition, we celebrate work by some of the most gifted artists and artisans working today, representing the highest realization of the handmade object. The Museum is proud to present to its American and international visitors work of such phenomenal energy and craftsmanship. The vast spectrum of these works underscores not only the rich diversity of contemporary craft, but also its growing convergence with architecture, design, sculpture and technology. We were pleased to ask Paul Smith to curate this show."

"Objects for Use: Handmade by Design"