Tip Sheet.

Byline: Ginanne Brownell, Jaime Cunningham

STYLE

The Art Of The Craft

By Ginanne Brownell

If there was ever any question that crafts had arrived, it disappeared last year when the cross-dressing London-based potter Grayson Perry won Britain's most prestigious arts award, the Turner Prize. (His pots now retail for about 25,000 pounds.) Nowadays crafts--functional artifacts like blown glass, pottery or metal work--are downright glamorous. Among the famous collectors: Eric Clapton, Michael Palin and Elle Macpherson. "Auction houses like Christie's and Sotheby's have been leading the general public towards crafts and that has really given the field credibility," says Mary La Trobe-Bateman, director of London's Contemporary Applied Arts gallery. It's a natural progression. The popularity of unique antiques has continued to grow, yet the supply of quality pieces has continued to shrink. Add to that the talent of artists looking for innovative new media, and the rise of the craft seems almost inevitable. Why buy a ceramic piece from Ikea that everyone from Stockholm to Sacramento might own, when you can get a one-of-a-kind modern collectible?

So how to begin? Start with an industry favorite: Craft Arts International magazine (craftarts.com.au ). It has a good international scope and will introduce you to different genres. The World Crafts Council (wccwis.g r) gives a nice overview for worldwide craft exhibitions, galleries and publications. When you're ready to dive right in, the sculpture objects and functional arts expo (sofaexpo.com ) Is held annually in Chicago and New York.

Or you could catch next year's British Crafts Council (craftscouncil.org.uk/collect ) "Collect" at London's V&A museum. The largest exhibition of its kind in Europe, it boasts unique pieces from across the globe. The best places to see a range of works are at the major crafts fairs held in various ...