Fridays with Manny

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN AN ARTIST AND AN ARTISAN?

During our recent visit to the San Francisco Art Show, our daughter Alona, who is an art consultant, pointed out to me that while there are many good artists, only a few reach the level of their work being collected by serious art connoisseurs. I thought about this statement during our visit to Ashville, North Carolina, which I wrote about recently.


Ashville is known as an artsy town. We were told that during the construction of the Biltmore Estate, many artisans came here, and some stayed. This laid the foundation for the River Art District, where a large number of art galleries and art studios cluster along the river, today. Some of the art we saw in Asheville was amazing; but, Alona’s comment was buzzing in my head, with the question, “What separates an artist from an artisan? And who makes that judgement?”

And then I directed this question to myself. I call myself a photo-artist, and to support my ego, Alona commissioned some of my photographs for her new home, from me. But I will let you be the judge of the three images from our trip. And I strongly encourage you to visit art galleries and museums to develop your own appreciation and judgements.

Enjoy and Share with a Friend!

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