Since its inception in 1986, the Museum for Art in Wood has been widely recognized as a critical resource for the study of art, craft, and design in the material of wood. Located in Philadelphia, it is the only museum of its kind in the world, highlighting work by artists whose communities have been historically marginalized and by others whose practices have been considered too experimental by traditional craft art institutions. The Museum houses a permanent collection of more than 1200 objects and annually produces five exhibitions alongside a residency program that has welcomed over 160 artists, as well as dozens of scholars and documentary artists. The Museum for Art in Wood aims to foster an appreciation for art, craft, and design in wood, creating a space for the public to learn, enjoy, and be inspired.
Museum for Art in Wood
Katie Hudnall, The Cabinet of Lost and Found Things, 2024, installation view. Reclaimed wood, string, springs, fasteners, various hardware, found objects, shellac, 42 x 132 x 30 in.
BA Harrington, Coming Out, 2021. Cherry, cotton yarn, brass hardware. Woven runner by Maggie Sasso.
Katie Hudnall, The Herd, 2024. Reclaimed Plywood, reclaimed wood, lenses, fasteners. 144 x 144 x 50 in.
Michelle Holzapfel, Self-Portrait, 1987. Cherry burl. 15 x 9 x 8 in. The Center for Art in Wood Museum Collection. Photo by John Carlano.
Katie Hudnall, Symbiosis #4: Drawings and Drawers, 2015. Found wood, found plywood, plywood, strings, springs, found objects, fasteners, hardware, various polychrome, lacquer wax. 80 x 48 x 35 in.
Martin Terry, Redgum Cyclops, 1999. Redgum. 8 x 3.5 in.
Katie Hudnall, Intermediary,
2017. Found wood, string, springs, paint. 54 x 70 x 30 in.
Alain Mailland, Purple Heart, 1999. Purpleheart. 4 x 7.5 x 6.75 in.
See Also
“The terrific range of project proposals we receive each year speaks to the mobile and porous disciplinary boundaries of contemporary art practice, and to the rich and inventive ways writers approach art today. They are alert to the urgent need to expand the conventions of art history and criticism with ideas from other discourses, such as black studies, transnational and diaspora studies, gender and women’s studies, and LGBT studies. The work of lesser known and overlooked artists and art communities continues to be mined, with writers articulating new ways to counter the striking imbalances of race, class and gender that continue to affect the arts and the culture industry.”