40 under 40: Craft Futures (Smithsonian American Art Museum)

In this beautifully illustrated volume, published in celebration of the Renwick Gallery's fortieth anniversary, author Nicholas Bell highlights forty artists (all under the age of forty) actively engaged in creating objects that are transforming contemporary craft. 40 Under 40 investigates evolving notions of craft within traditional media such as ceramics and metalwork, as well as in fields as varied as sculpture, industrial design, installation art, fashion, and sustainable manufacturing. Viewing craft's heritage as a set of flexible tools rather than a rigid structure, Bell shows how this exciting group of young artists has produced work that not only breaks boundaries, but also uses an expanded conceptual framework, establishing craft's important role in the world of contemporary art and culture today.