Of Earth, Bone, and Spirit: Craft Tradition, Cultural Continuity, and the Work Of Zipporah Camille Thompson

EVENTS > SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Our November Trust Talk features TK Smith, a Philadelphia-based writer, curator, and PhD candidate at the University of Delaware, discussing craft traditions, cultural continuity, and the work of contemporary artist Zipporah Camille Thompson. Smith’s research is invested in American material culture, specifically exploring how the symbolic meaning of material is made, preserved, and transformed over time. Thompson’s art practice involves visual and material investigations of the cosmos, natural landscapes, and the body to create her multilayered sculptural works. She incorporates non-traditional art-making materials, found objects, and the impressions of her own touch to enliven her work with spirit. Together they will discuss how contemporary craft practices not only reference the skill and aesthetics of the past but also function as a continued expression of culture and spirituality. 

Trust Talks is a monthly lecture series hosted by the Decorative Arts Trust that features an emerging scholar sharing and discussing their exciting new research with a mentor in the field. The hour-long virtual program includes an emerging scholar lecture, a scholar-to-scholar conversation, and a Q&A with the program participants. 

This program is supported by the Marie and John Zimmermann Fund.