The Peabody Award-winning PBS series Craft in America continues to explore the impact of craftsmanship with its recent episode, “Collectors.” The episode delves into the essential role that collectors play in the art community, examining how their appreciation and support affirm and inspire the artists they champion. Among the featured artists is Los Angeles-based ceramic artist, designer, and Chouinard Art Institute alum Peter Shire (BFA 70), whose work blurs the boundaries between fine art, craft, and industrial design.
Shire, a founding member of the Memphis Group, welcomed viewers into his Echo Park studio, offering a look at his creative process and personal collection. The episode also showcases his 2023-2024 exhibition, Rumpus Room, at the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles.
In Rumpus Room, Shire transformed the gallery into a dynamic, playful space filled with ceramic and metal sculptures, as well as new paintings. The exhibition showcased his distinctly Los Angeles perspective, weaving together pop culture influences and everyday life with bold colors and dynamic forms. In “Collectors,” Deitch reflected on Shire’s artistic vision:
Peter Shire is a Los Angeles legend. I’m always attracted to artists who have a vision—a whole artistic vocabulary that’s beyond just making the object. And for Peter, it’s through and through. His vision extends through his sculpture, his sophisticated paintings, his truck, even his scooter. We wanted Peter to bring his special artistic world into the gallery.
Craft in America: Collectors premiered on PBS on Dec. 27, 2024 and is available for streaming online (also embedded below), as well as on the PBS app. The series is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
