Milwaukee Weather
Newsradio 620 WTMJ is on Twitter now! Click Here to learn more. "Handmade Nation" Goes InternationalBy By Elizabeth BraunA local artist's latest creation is generating international buzz, and putting the spotlight firmly on the Brew City. Artist Faythe Levine arrived in Milwaukee by way of Seattle about 8 years ago and has since founded a number of local DIY projects. She ran a company called Flying Fish Designs and later Flying Fish Gallery in Riverwest. That led her to begin what's become a nationally-recognized fair called 'Art V. Craft,' which now gets between 3 and 400 vendors from across the nation. But it's her latest venture, a documentary called 'Handmade Nation' that's generated the most buzz. "It's a 65-minute feature-length documentary and it features 12 different vignettes of different people. It's sort of laced together with an additional commentary of 25 different community members," says Levine. She says Handmade Nation has gotten a lot of publicity and has traveled the country and the world promoting it and talking about the world of crafts and those that make them. "It's also become way more of an educational tool that I was expecting," says Levine, "There's a lot of interest from museums and universities to screen the film, to just sort of get get the word out about what's going on with this younger generation of people wanting to do things by hand." The one-camera film premiered at Milwaukee's Oriental Theater earlier this year, but members of the craft community have been following it's production for nearly 3 years. Since it's premiere, the longest Levine's been in Milwaukee has been about 2 1/2 weeks. She's been profiled in publications like the NY Times, and now does 3 to 10 interviews per week. There's rarely an article about craft that leaves her out, but it can be awkward. "It's kind of been an unexpected turn to be the go-to person for information about a community of people because it is just one person's sort of account of what's going on," she adds. Amidst all the success Handmade Nation has brought, there's a bit if bad news. Levine's shop, Paper Boat, will close at the end of May, another victim of the recession. Levine says she's disappointed, but looking forward to some down time. She also has a message for people. "If people don't support the makers that are here, they will go to places like New York and LA because there is that support in those larger, urban areas. I just feel it's important for people to support your local film, support your local galleries so they don't all fizzle out." Levine expects Handmade Nation to be released on DVD in the next few months. |
     
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