The Sept. 3 issue of the New York Times includes an article titled "The Ambassador of Handmade," and author Penelope Green is referring to Milwaukee renaissance woman Faythe Levine.
Green calls Levine a "pillar of the do-it-yourself movement" for her multi-faceted roll as a gallery owner (Paper Boat Boutique, 2375 S. Howell Ave.), collector, musician (she plays the musical saw in Wooden Robot), artist and documentarian.
Of course, this isn't the first time the NYT has recognized her accomplishments. She was interviewed for a July 2, 2006 article by Rob Walker called "Craft Work" about her contribution to the "new wave of craft" and her budding film project, a documentary of the artful craft movement.
Today, her documentary, "Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design" is all but finished and will debut at festivals and museums in early 2009. In the meantime, look for her book of the same name, which she co-wrote with friend Cortney Heimerl, to hit shelves this November.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
