 A selection of handmade earrings at Crafts People, a massive artists' emporium in West Hurley |
Hopkins sees the terms "art" and "craft" as interchangeable, adamantly rejecting any premise which argues that a piece's value as art is limited by its function. The Arts and Crafts movement started at the turn of the 20th century as a response to industrialization; at that time, many found a need to return to handcrafted wares to counterbalance the negative societal effects of mass production. Hopkins sees crafts as still being necessary today as a way to connect people to people, and people to things. "You want to drink out of your favorite coffee mug every day. And you can't explain why. The mug answers something that's personal and intimate."
Raised in Ulster Park, Hopkins recalls growing up in a community where his mother's name was equity enough to get him a loan from the local bank. He speaks with reverence of a time when it was considered rude not to be in constant contact with your neighbors.
Hopkins has integrated his early-bred appreciation for solidarity into Crafts People, treating its six employees and its customers and artisans as a community. "He's exemplary in his morals," Josh Solomon, a glassblower, says about the owner. "As much as he's a businessman, he's trying to help local artists." An apprentice with Rhinebeck-based glassblower Barry Entner, Solomon sells his blown-glass sculptures on consignment at Crafts People. He speaks frankly about the dark nature of the world of art business. "So many galleries won't even look at your work if you don't have an established name," he says. Solomon remembers bringing his first box of work to Crafts People, where he was met with enthusiasm and encouragement from Hopkins and Elwyn. Since then, he has sold his most valuable (and, according to him, weirdest) piece through the shop.
"[Solomon] is still startled, I think, when he sells a piece, because although he knows his work has integrity...he's so mesmerized that somebody can purchase it, and chooses to," Hopkins says. As accomplished artisans themselves, Hopkins and Elwyn understand the gratification and reinforcement that comes from seeing a stranger connect to one's work, especially in the cases of young artists. They also appreciate the struggle that many novice artisans face to achieve the acknowledgment and financial recompense that most require. In addition to the judgment, criticism, and rejection that must be endured in marketing one's craft, there are many practical disadvantages. Craft shows are frequently held outdoors, leaving artisans subject to foul weather, keeping potential buyers away and putting delicate work at risk. "At one show, a young potter was setting up his booth when a big gust of wind blew through. Instantly, all of his work, everything he'd brought, was broken, gone," Hopkins sadly recalls. Though they still attend shows and appreciate galleries, Hopkins and Elwyn see the need for an alternative market, one which is particularly kind to new artists. "[Hopkins and Elwyn] really want to help you," Solomon attests. "They are genuine people."
Crafts People is, for Hopkins, proof that a creative life can be successful. Just as he would teach the teenagers who shared his home that something as simple as a vase of flowers in their room could lift their spirits—remind them that they deserve to live in a nice room, in a nice world—Hopkins helps people to decorate their lives with things that inspire them to create and connect. "A world filled with creative people is not going to be a violent world." (845) 331-3859; www.craftspeople.us.