Martin Puryear, Confessional, 1996–2000. Wire mesh, staples, nails, steel rods, tar, various woods. Museum purchase with funds donated by the Ives Family Fund, Towles Contemporary Art Fund, Catherine and Paul Buttenwieser Fund, The Heritage Fund for a Diverse Collection, Joyce Linde, Carol Wall, and partial gift of Mickey Cartin. © Martin Puryear, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery.
Martin Puryear, Confessional, 1996–2000. Wire mesh, staples, nails, steel rods, tar, various woods. Museum purchase with funds donated by the Ives Family Fund, Towles Contemporary Art Fund, Catherine and Paul Buttenwieser Fund, The Heritage Fund for a Diverse Collection, Joyce Linde, Carol Wall, and partial gift of Mickey Cartin. © Martin Puryear, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery.
Martin Puryear and Craft
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Tickets (Member / Nonmember)
In-Person $28 / $35
Livestream $16 / $20
The line between craft and art is often a sticky one, and artist Martin Puryear has both navigated and transcended this truth across the arc of his career. Looking closely at the pivotal time Puryear spent as a student in Scandinavia in the mid-1960s, consider the artist’s rich and complex relationship with contemporary craft. Explore Puryear’s formative moment spent in northern climes, specifically his series of brief but impactful meetings with the acclaimed 20th-century woodworker, educator, and writer James Krenov, then make connections to circles of contemporary craft today.
Michelle Millar Fisher, Ronald and Anita Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts, Department of Contemporary Art
Course Packages
Purchase a ticket package for the full four-session “Making and Memory: María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Martin Puryear” course. Please note that this option is not available after the date of the first session.
Assistive listening system
Wheelchair accessible
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
Livestream Tickets
The livestream ticket gives access to a live feed of the event that can be watched remotely. You must be logged in to the account used to purchase the ticket in order to access the livestream on the Video Content page. Please log in at least 5 minutes before the start of the event to test your connection.
Livestream ticket holders must watch the event live; there is no recording of the event available for viewing at a later time.
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.