Top 10 Highlights from 2008

As Jae and I drove through the ice and snow on our way back from New Hampshire on New Year's Eve, we reflected on 2008 and drew up our Top 10 Highlights for the year. We still need to set our 2009 priorities and have many bits of news to share, but for now we wanted to join the throngs of bloggers offering up reviews of the past 365 days.

In no particular order, here are our Top 10 Highlights from 2008:

10. Under-Cover, the exhibition of small quilts and bed sculpture by Jane Kaufmann we organized at Greenjeans. It was so gratifying to bring together the work of quilt makers around the country, and very exciting to have Jane and several quilt makers come for the opening.

9. Having the honor to present on blogging and craft at the American Craft Council show in Baltimore.

8. Gaining free admission as a legit press person to review the Martin Puryear exhibition at MoMA, the Shaker Design show at Bard, and the Louise Bourgeois show at the Guggenheim. It's good to blog!

7. Taking Greenjeans to the Brooklyn Flea. When we had to close our location in June, the Flea became our saving grace, where our loyal customers could find us and we could meet new customers. Who knew taking the show on the road could be so fun?

6. Meeting dozens of wonderful local furniture makers while organizing the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea. We are hoping to work with you all again in the future -- stay tuned!

5. Traveling out to East Hampton to meet Bebe and Warren of the esteemed studio furniture gallery Pritam & Eames, and finding great inspiration for our plans for a future furniture gallery of our own.

4. All the time we got to spend with artisans over the year, including dinner with the Braskie's, lunching with Dan & Missy Dustin, tea with Kit Cornell, and coffee and cookies with Dick and Jane Kaufmann on New Year's Eve.

3. The surge in discussion about the nature of craft sparked by Bruce Metcalf's presentation at the SNAG conference and perpetuated on blogs and later a the July ACC salon. I hope we can reignite this passionate dialogue in the new year (maybe at the ACC's conference this October)!

2. Launching our new feature, Friday Snacks!, in September to share quick links and fun images, bringing a little lightness to our blogging week.

1. OBAMA!!!
Wishing all of our readers health, prosperity, and productivity, and a very Happy New Year!

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Images by Greenjeans, except bottom image sourced here.