"What is the difference between ART and CRAFT?"

Taste the answer in every bottle

After moving to Tupper Lake, I became more and more interested in the expressive outlet of art. This early development of artistic experience and skills directly influenced my future careers in cooking, business, and Colorado winemaking by giving me a foundation to approach projects in a creative way.

Art classes started very early in my life. Every grade in elementary school had time dedicated for creating art. I loved it all: drawing with crayons, painting pictures with fingers and brushes, building structures with glue and popsicle sticks, making paper mache sculptures, cutting and pasting fabric into collages.

There were no rules as far as I was concerned. It was fun and easy, tapping into a part of my brain that reduced anxiety and stress. A flowing of feel-good energy seemed to take over my whole being when I was playing with art.

As the years progressed, my passion for creating art intensified. By my high school junior year, I had met all academic requirements for math and science and decided to double up on art classes. I supplemented my learning with wood and metal shop classes, getting more of a taste for sculpture. Figure and still life drawing, matting and framing, photography, and taking field trips to art museums all added to the experience. I was in heaven and a state of a wonder at what the world had to offer.

When it came time to choose a direction for college, it was a no brainer. I focused on Commercial Illustration and Sculpture, which meant that I would have fun classes in Painting, Figure Drawing, Photography, Video, Art History, Environmental Installations and Wood Shop.

One question, however, kept popping up in each class. Almost every teacher in my four years asked the same question. One that would perplex my colleagues and I, annoying us over and over and over. A question that now ranks in my mind as the most important question for a creative person to be asked: “What is the difference between ART and CRAFT?”

I don’t remember any of the answers that were given to this question at the time. However, after living a creative life through art, food, business, and Colorado wine, I finally feel confident in my answer…

ART is almost indescribable, like the words Umami and Terroir. It is, in essence, the creative spirit and collective inspiration of an individual. Additionally, the term ART can be attributed to the final product, as in “this bottle of Colorado wine is a work of ART!”

CRAFT, on the other hand, speaks to the process of each creative project: from idea, to design, to collecting materials, to using these materials in a unique way. Even the way a creation is presented to the audience is part of the process, or CRAFT. The term CRAFT can also be a verb, as in “he is crafting a Colorado Wine.” In short, the process to create a work of ART is called CRAFT.

So, why is this question important to me? I feel that being consistently aware of ART and CRAFT in my daily life helps me focus energy as a creative person. It assists me in reaching new heights with my products, whether it be a painting, a special meal, or a new batch of wine.

Answering this question daily also helps me remember that there are no rules. For me, winemaking is fun, easy, and taps into a part of my brain that reduces anxiety and stress. A flowing of feel-good energy takes over my whole being as I craft bottles of liquid art. Through this daily meditation, I hope to create some of the best Colorado wines in the Rocky Mountain region.