In the spring of 2023, Nationalmuseum will present an exhibition showing American crafts, from the 1950s up until today. Everything from small pieces of jewelry to furniture and impressive wall pieces and textiles. The collection of objets have been assembled by former gallerist and craft educator Helen W. Drutt English.

Nationalmuseum has invited Helen W. Drutt English, pioneering craft educator and gallerist of American Modern and Contemporary Crafts since the 1960s, to assemble a collection of objects drawn from the field of “American Crafts”. The selection of 81 works from the 1950s until today will in future enrich Nationalmuseum’s collections and will provide a possibility to look at American Crafts in the Nordic context.

The collection includes objects by prominent American designers such as George Nakashima, Lenore Tawney, Nancy Carman, Michael Hurwitz and Howard Ben Tré, i.e. American artists, or artists who emigrated and formed their practice in America and date from the 1950s until today. The scale of the objects varies from small pieces of jewelry to chairs and impressive wall pieces and textiles.

The objects in the exhibition have been donated by artists, collectors, Helen W. Drutt English and her family to The American Friends of Nationalmuseum of Sweden, whose mission is to foster and support understanding and appreciation of art and design, and to support Nationalmuseum. They will in future become part of Nationalmuseum’s collections and provide a possibility to look at American crafts in the Nordic context.