Bellefonte - American Hands Exhibits

American Hands [1] is Sally Wiener Grotta's ongoing narrative visual celebration of those individuals – blacksmiths, weavers, spinners, glassblowers, bookbinders, rug makers, etc – who are keeping alive the traditional trades that built our country's diverse culture. Sally's natural down-to-earth shooting style helps artisans warm to her camera, developing personal relationships that allow her to share in intensely private and often poignant creative moments, as well as spontaneous expressions of joy and discovery. Her narrative series of portraits capture both the fascinating creative processes and the individual personalities of the craftspersons. This project has hit a resonant chord with the public and the art world, and continues to generate quite a "buzz."

The purpose of American Hands is multi-faceted:

• To honor the artisans who have dedicated their lives to keeping traditional trades alive
• To preserve and share the stories Sally collects
• To use Sally's pictures and stories to energize and excite the public about human creative potential
• To educate and inform young and old alike about our creative cultural heritage, through free-to-the public exhibits and slideshow discussions.
• To push photography, imaging and fine art printing artistically, attempting to expand the creative language we use to tell visual stories.