Andrew Wagner Leaving American Craft Magazine

After breathing new life into American Craft Magazine, editor Andrew Wagner is moving on.

His major redesign of the venerable mag was met with strong reactions both enthusiastic and critical, first reflected in the Oct/Nov 2007 issue that I reviewed here. Wagner (pictured here sans handlebar mustache) also oversaw the launch of the magazine's excellent website and blog.

However controversial, there is no doubt Wagner brought the magazine, and to some extent the Craft Council along with it, to a new level of relevance in the broader worlds of art, craft, and design. It will be interesting to see what happens with the mag now.

His next move: taking over as editor of ReadyMade magazine. ReadyMade seems to me in much better shape going in than American Craft Mag did, so it'll be interesting to see what he brings to that new project.

Coming on board as Guest Editor until a permanent replacement is found will be Janet Koplos, who, according to the press release, was until recently a senior editor at Art in America magazine in New York. "Koplos, currently a freelance critic and an adjunct professor at the Parsons School of Design, has written widely on art, architecture and design and has long had a special interest in contemporary craft. Her latest book, Makers: A History of American Studio Craft, co-authored with Bruce Metcalf, will be published this year by the University of North Carolina Press."

Andrew has been a friend of Greenjeans since we first met back in Oct. 2006, and I've always found infectious his energy, curiosity, and openness to new ideas. We wish him all the best at his new gig!

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Image sourced here.