It often feels like there’s no limit to how far industry captains will go to exploit workers. Look no further than "the other NRA"—the National Restaurant Association. Read "The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 6," written by Todd Oppenheimer: bit.ly/4xWsZZY

Contemporary ceramicists are continuing a long legacy of Black Americans working in clay. As they find new ways to tell their stories, the art world is finally catching up. Listen to: "Black Artists Are Reshaping How We Think About American Ceramics,” written by Ruth Terry: bit.ly/4oHooqk

Nand Kishore Chaudhary built Jaipur Rugs into a runaway success by working closely with India’s poorest citizens and by developing an apprenticeship system around India’s chronic battles with child labor. Read "India’s Rug Saint," written by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin: bit.ly/41ZlWi3

Willy Wonka meets herbology? Craftsmanship's contributing editor gets a hands-on lesson in making plant medicine, with sweet results. We hope you’ll enjoy reading, “How to Make CBD Chocolates: A Berkeley Herbal Center Workshop,” by Jeff Greenwald: bit.ly/4xqNbTk

Contributing editor Jeff Greenwald, who excels at applying the lens of craftsmanship to unusual topics, offers us a peek into the colorful and fascinating world of saltwater aquaria. Read “Raising Corals in the New Age of Aquaria,” written by Jeff Greenwald: bit.ly/3RpbzEc

New England’s fabled lobstering industry is struggling with an aging workforce, new regulations, warming waters and wildly inconsistent lobster catches. So why would a bright young man in Eastport, Maine, commit to a life fishing the seas? Read "Tomorrow’s Lobsterman," by Ben Speggen: bit.ly/4tVP4VH

Inside the Berkeley Herbal Center, traditional knowledge is thriving—not as a musem relic, but as a living practice focused on holistic healing. We hope you’ll enjoy reading “Herbalism: Crafting Ancient Plant Medicine for Modern Life,” by Jeff Greenwald: bit.ly/49FWswB

Like many American cities, Durham, N.C. is turning once-abandoned factories into tech hubs and microbreweries. It’s also building a shared commitment to its most vulnerable citizens. Read "The Soul Of Community," written by Barry Yeoman and photographed by Alex Boerner: bit.ly/3oTYLYC

Gian Piero Bellucci is the last Italian artisan who still makes the traditional, hand-carved wooden forms that serve as hat blocks for makers of fine hats.Read and watch "Italy’s Last Maker of Traditional Wooden Hat Blocks," story and film by Luisa Grosso. Read story: bit.ly/4j7fH47

Underneath all the discouraging news we hear and read these days, there’s a movement slowly building out there that shows real promise, especially for America’s working class. As is typical with big social steps forward, this one is emerging from the ashes of what’s been destroyed.: bit.ly/4fPe1Oz

In “Women Who Embroider the Air,” written by Erla Zwingle (with an audio version narrated by Nancy LeBrun), you’ll meet the master craftswomen of Burano, Italy, who are keeping the centuries-old art of fine, handmade lace alive. Read story: bit.ly/41SAdOh

Through years of painstaking, costly, and often fruitless detective work, Hugo Kohl rescued an era of early American jewelry manufacturing technology that was on the brink of extinction. Read "The Jewelry Archaeologist," written by Alison Main: bit.ly/3zxC26w

For the team behind Wowhaus Studio, great public art isn't just about design; it's about creating purpose, meaning, and joy. They apply this philosophy in their daily lives, too—and so can you. Read "How to Make a Good Day": Scott and Ene Constable on Crafting a Meaningful Life: bit.ly/4dxHWrH

The Isbell family of Arkansas has spent decades experimenting with new ways to grow rice. In the process, they pioneered American-grown rice for sushi and sake, along with farming techniques that can slow climate change. Read "The Craft of Sustainable Rice Farming," by David Ramsey: bit.ly/3zMAvwH

If you’ve ever visited Bali, you might have fond memories of white-sand beaches, ornate temples, and gracious hospitality. But for many visitors, the island’s most striking feature is its rich cultural heritage. Read "A Traditional Balinese Craft Rediscovers Its Roots — in Leaves": bit.ly/3NE6AvI

As industrial agriculture has narrowed both livestock genetics and textile production, many wool producers, retailers, and artists who work with fiber are working to revive an old source: heritage breeds of sheep. Read "Rare Sheep, Rich Yarns," by Erika Zambello: bit.ly/4dsuiGr

In Japan, an aging population, declining birthrate, and a concentrating of jobs in the major cities, has left rural areas across the countryside littered with abandoned houses—known as akiya, or “empty homes.” Now, a movement is on the rise to repurpose and enliven them with artistry: bit.ly/3JWXZlI

India’s communities of specialized artisans, who are often the knowledge-keepers of their centuries-old craft traditions, face an uncertain future. Listen to "The Fragility of India’s Artisan Communities,” written by Laura Fraser, narrated and produced by Pauline Bartolone: bit.ly/4wirXGw

For nearly 30 years, woodworking has provided Miles Boudreaux with purpose, connection, and a creative "fix." Now, science is catching up to what he’s learned from experience. Read “What Science Says About Craft, Creativity, and Mental Health,” written by Pauline Bartolone: bit.ly/3PURNja

While Japanese master craftsmen command up to $100,000 for turning bamboo into a fishing pole, aspiring younger makers can barely find anyone to take them on as apprentices. How could this happen in a country that, for centuries, has served as a model of hand-made perfection?: bit.ly/41MZlVS

Yes, professional upholsterers are still out there—reviving old armchairs, preserving a time-honored craft, and keeping many tons of furniture out of landfills every year. Read "Fighting Fast Furniture Waste, One Reupholstered Sofa at a Time,” by Pauline Bartolone: bit.ly/4tfxZVP

Inside some Italian prisons, female inmates are using discarded fabrics to handcraft a range of goods to sell, and learning valuable job skills—literally stitching up their lives behind bars. Watch “Made in Prison,” a short film by Luisa Grosso: bit.ly/44bFMIp

In a growing number of artisanal shops dotted around the globe, small-scale perfume artists are bottling a world of scents left untapped by commercial fragrance houses. Read or listen to "Led by the Nose," written by Barbara Tannenbaum and narrated by Avanthika Srinivasan: bit.ly/3MEPTzQ

While prosperous countries like the U.S. have struggled to keep their honeybees alive, Greece continues to produce what many consider the world’s finest honey. What’s the Greeks’ secret? And why can’t everyone else keep up? Read to "Greece’s Secret to Perfect Honey," by Rob Waters: bit.ly/4hQuRKp

During a 1958 campaign to defend his seat in the U.S. Senate, Ralph Yarborough hit the front steps of one county courthouse after another, preaching a populist message built on a simple pledge: “Let’s put the jam on the lower shelf where the little people can reach it.”: bit.ly/41RtdCI

Fergus Garrett, head of England's Great Dixter Gardens and one of the world’s preeminent gardening experts, talks about the art of making fine gardens, and fine gardeners. Read "Tips and Inspiration from England’s Great Dixter Gardens" written by Thomas C. Cooper: bit.ly/3zy2cpI

Julia Scheeres traces the history of the espadrille from its origins in Catalonia to the runways of haute couture. Along the way, she introduces us to the artisans of La Manual Alpargatera. Read “The Espadrille: Spain’s Beloved, Timeless Shoe,” by Julia Scheeres: bit.ly/4dTwAjR

Today, the alphorn is making an unexpected return—not in its native Switzerland, but in France. Lyon-based writer Anna Richards introduces us to Sandro Faïta, a musician and craftsman determined to breathe new life into a fading tradition, one handcrafted alphorn at a time: bit.ly/4rnja2n

Not only is wool unusually cozy and durable, but its creators (the sheep) can help regenerate the soil, along with the world’s drying, fire-prone landscapes. The good news: a wool revival seems to be underway. Read "The Hidden Powers of a Sheep," written by Judith D. Schwartz: bit.ly/425bSWq

A third-generation metalworker makes the security gates and doors that guard Las Vegas's neighborhoods—and with the same steel, he explores themes of vice, labor, and life beyond the Strip. Read “Forged in the Desert: The Metalwork of Luis Avila Chavez,” written by Oona Robertson: bit.ly/4tKr9IF

Traditional DIY basics like clothing repair have become covetable knowledge again. With the fast-fashion machine on notice, could this be mending’s big moment? Read "Mending: An Ancient Craft for Modern Times," written by Ruth Terry. Read story: bit.ly/48KmRHl

Take one isolated, High Desert town (John Day, OR), add an abused river, a dying timber industry, and a hotter, drier climate. Then mix in a local leader’s grand, out-of-the-box ideas about rural sustainability. What do you get? Read "The West’s Rural Visionary," by Juliet Grable: bit.ly/4romRpC

Craftsmanship survives not only in quiet workshops, but in the shared rituals of a community. In this colorful dispatch from northern France, our correspondent steps inside a tradition that is literally larger than life: The centuries-old craft of building the region’s festival giants bit.ly/4mfflf0

The carving and painting of santos is one of the oldest living folk art traditions in the U.S. As Holy Week marks the holiest of days for Christians, we talked with a few of New Mexico’s modern santeros who have found that innovation and preservation of their tradition go hand-in-hand bit.ly/4iGDZmb

In the murky waters where economics and politics mix, one question has long remained one of the cloudiest and most contested: Are higher minimum wages good or bad for the nation’s progress, and even for workers’ own prosperity? Read, "The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 3": bit.ly/4lSszOl

Anne Loquineau left a traditional career path to follow her artistic heart. Now she crafts sculptural porcelain bags that highlight her dual heritage and unique vision. Read "Porcelain Handbags? A Tale of Two Cultures and One Bold Career Leap," written by Anna Richards: bit.ly/4qN92Ql

In the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico, a band of determined Purépecha women led the overthrow of a criminal cartel. Their victory revived the town’s traditional livelihood, and ushered in a model form of self-government. Read "When Indigenous Women Win," written by Andrew Sullivan: bit.ly/3KLlGOm

Brian Callan is part of a slow, steady revival of traditional harp-making in the Emerald Isle. Most of his handmade harps are built from fallen trees. Read "Brian Callan Reclaims Ireland’s Fallen Trees—and its Tradition of Harp-making," written by Kimberly Coburn: bit.ly/4ma5XIG

Some of today’s top photographers are ditching digital for the magic and mystery that’s only possible by using old techniques. We’re talking really old. We hope you'll enjoy reading “What Are iPhotos Missing?”, written by Laura Fraser: bit.ly/4su4jVa

If you want an unusually cozy scarf or sweater made of natural fiber, merino wool or alpaca are the usual choices. But what about guanaco, the alpaca’s little-known cousin, which grows even finer fleece? Read "Argentina’s Textile Crusader," written by Alden Wicker: bit.ly/3JB4MRz

While Scotland is branded by its famous Highland bagpipes, Ireland has long made a very different kind that plays a much wider range of music. Meet the indefatigable, obsessive masters of Irish uilleann pipes. Read "Do the Most Interesting Musical Pipes Come from Ireland?": bit.ly/3UAfTNz

I wrote about an art form that fits in the period at the end of this sentence. For one diatom arranger, the work proved transformative.

Nate Dube’s passion is the art of manipulating microscopic algae to uncover their hidden beauty. Welcome to diatom arranging, an obscure craft that’s been obsessing a subculture of the ultra-meticulous for nearly two centuries. Read “Biology’s Unseen Craft,” written by Chris Colin: bit.ly/4brg5Zp

Ireland’s National Print Museum in Dublin was founded in 1996 by retired printers who couldn’t bear to watch their trades disappear without trace or fanfare. Volunteers are now dedicated to keeping the museum’s collection of historical printing machines from fading away: bit.ly/3L2MFoI

Brass, a material once prized across the Islamic world for its beauty and endurance, fell victim to industrial sameness. Now, against the tsunami of mass production, a handful of artisans are reviving the traditional designs and old techniques. Read “Cairo’s New Brass Revivalists”: bit.ly/4ct1DCj

Padmini Govind picked up the threads of her mother’s modest home business and grew it into a thriving cottage industry amid a multitude of local and global challenges. Read “The Little Block-Printing Workshop that Could,” written by Alden Wicker. Read Story: bit.ly/3YxzcbG

In a postcard-perfect valley in southern Norway, Annemor Sundbø nurtures her life’s work: old garments, paintings, and other clues to the myths and meaning woven for centuries into Norwegian sweaters. Read "The Norwegian Sweater Detective," written by Sarah Pollock: bit.ly/3XM0TNr

Today’s featured article is the final installment of a three-part “mini series” by master craftsman and teacher Gary Rogowski. In this essay, he contemplates one of woodworking’s most seductive and self-defeating illusions: perfection. Read “Woodworking vs. Perfection”: bit.ly/4kZlDP7

Contemporary ceramicists are continuing a long legacy of Black Americans working in clay. As they find new ways to tell their stories, the art world is finally catching up. Read "Black Artists Are Reshaping How We Think About American Ceramics," written by Ruth Terry: bit.ly/45w3TEC

Modern capitalism is what created today’s fractured work world, where so many people skip from job to job. And most schools aren’t helping matters, merely funneling more workers into a broken system that truly serves only a few. But all is not gloom and doom. Watch short film: bit.ly/3ZgEybv