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China’s Contemporary Art Garden

Take a dip in Miami’s creative art scene in a city that is active year-round.

Many of the Smoky Mountains’ earliest tourists came here to shop from local craftsmen, popularized by the Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity that chose supporting these mountain folk artists as their cause. In 1912, the women established a public school for the local children, evolving into the Arrowmont School of Arts of Crafts that persists today. Centuries-old trades continue to be passed down, and visitors will find woodworking, basket weaving, ceramics, and metalworks created in the same manner they have for generations. An organized eight-mile loop road includes stops at 120 artists’ studios and workshops, many with live demonstrations. Travel it at your leisure, or break it up over several days as you discover this thriving remnant of the culture that shaped Southern Appalachia.

Mexico is known around the world for its traditional crafts, which represent an astonishing variety of materials and genres. There are lustrous black clay pots from Oaxaca, beadwork from Nayarit, and metalwork from Jalisco—and that’s just a tiny representation of the vast range of crafts Mexico has to offer. Many of the traditional crafts are on display and are for purchase at Colección Arte de México, just outside Guadalajara proper. Among them are tin stars, papier mache and clay figurines, and mirrors set in frames decorated with mosaic tiles.

Queues consistently spill out onto the footpath at this little corner shop. A rusted metalwork sign above the tiny bakery café, situated on the leafy Bourke Street Surry Hills, reads ‘Boulangerie’. The creme brulee tarts are locally famous, and we’re here all the time for a loaf of sourdough (plain, seeded, hazelnut and raisin, fig and cranberry or potato and rosemary). Nab a corner booth seat if you can.

Buenos Aires lies on the edge of flat pampa, so even a gentle incline is rare—you’ll have to take some stairs to get a view. The 16-story Galería Güemes, built in 1915, was the city’s first skyscraper, and its top-floor mirador offers great downtown vistas. This restored gallería shines as a spectacular example of art nouveau architecture, complete with glass-domed ceilings, ornate metalwork, and gilt sculptural details. Not surprisingly, legend surrounds the building, including that the writer of The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, once lived in an upstairs apartment with a pet seal cub.

At Greenfield Village, part of The Henry Ford, the goal is to recreate what life was like in the early days of the United States of America. That goal is more than accomplished through the historic structures, activities, and even the work of the actors and employees who populate the 240 acres that make up the Village, which was founded on October 21, 1929. It’s not just American history that’s highlighted, as some structures, like the Cotswold Cottage and the Swiss Cottage, represent the cultures of other countries. Every year the Village also hosts the World Series of Historic Baseball. There are working farms, and craftsmen still create with traditional methods, such as glass blowing and metalworking. Inventors and important historical figures are also highlighted, such as the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford himself, Thomas Edison, and Abraham Lincoln.

Tokyo is replete with tiny, cool boutiques specializing in everything from rare toys to carved owl figurines (to be honest, I still haven’t quite figured out how the latter stays in business, but it must have an established customer base since the shop’s been open for over 20 years—that, however, is the topic of a future Highlight). Likewise, some of these retail establishments offer items created by traditional craftsmen in stunningly beautiful and refined modern form, which embody a fusion of the past and present that so clearly defines the city as a whole. One such shop is Horigin, a small shop on an unassuming backstreet of Harajuku that sells absolutely stunning Japanese and Buddhist mythology-influenced jewelry and accessories forged using precious metals such as silver, gold, and titanium by a family of master craftsmen whose lineage extends all the way back to 1727. Merging ancient Japanese engraving and metalworking techniques with modern interpretations of traditional patterns and themes, Horigin (whose owner’s ancestors used to specialize in making tsuba, the ornately embellished hand guards that adorned Japanese samurai swords, before the latter were banned by Emperor Meiji in 1868) is a purveyor of modern pieces of Japan’s past of the highest quality that make for unique mementos of one’s trip to this ancient country (not to mention really cool gifts as well!).

Located next to the picturesque Sant Felip Neri Square in the atmospheric Gothic Quarter, the Hotel Neri Relais & Châteaux comprises two historic mansions, one dating to the 12th century. The modernist aspirations of the hotel are immediately apparent, though, from the front entrance’s elegant combination of glass and metalwork to the stone walls of the lobby. Rooms are crisp and subtly decorated in grays and greens offset by the wooden floors, and they’re filled with high-tech features such as satellite TVs and Bluetooth speakers, as well as desks. Bathrooms feature natural stone and rain showers, and most rooms look out onto the Gothic Quarter’s cobbled streets. The hotel also has a romantic restaurant with 12th-century inspiration, and a roof terrace complete with hammocks and a beer-and-wine bar.

While many walked through the streets of the small town, I decided to head along the river and came across this beautiful view of Lake Brienz.

This huge, government-run store is one of Guadalajara’s most reasonably priced options for local handicrafts. Spread over two floors, it’s a one-stop shop for high-quality souvenirs, from artisan pottery and hand-blown glassware to textiles, jewelry, masks, and more—all made in Jalisco.

The plaza of Place Seffarine, dominated by the entrance to the al-Qarawiyin Library and a sturdy old tree, is one of the most pleasing areas in Fes. As you approach, you’ll hear the sound of the copper beaters tap, tap, tapping away. It’s well worth perusing the stalls to find high-quality cookware to take home, such as pixie pans for boiling milk for your coffee, copper tagines and teapots, and prettily etched bowls for use in the hammam. Stop at the café for seriously strong coffee and to watch the world go by, or scoot around the corner onto Derb Chouara for hot, sweet mint tea spiked with various other healing herbs at a hole-in-the-wall where you’ll rub shoulders with local craftspeople taking a break from their labors.

Located in a former shoe factory, City Museum devotes 600,000 square feet and four levels to play for all ages. The museum was the brainchild of artist and entrepreneur Bob Cassilly—along with a crew of 20 artisans known as the Cassilly Crew—who constructed the space from objects found around the city, from construction cranes and fire trucks to church pipe organs, old airplanes, and plenty of reclaimed building materials. The result is a wonderfully weird and wacky museum that’s constantly evolving, depending on what’s been donated and collected recently. There’s a sky-high jungle gym, a rooftop Ferris wheel, an aquarium, and multi-story slides that once served as chutes for shoes. The museum has a “no map” policy to encourage exploration, but does advise visitors to bring their own flashlight—you never know what you’ll find in those dark caves.

Old Town Square, founded in the 12th century, is the center of Prague. In the middle of it all, the Old Town Hall (which also houses the famous Astronomical Clock), built in 1338, still provides the best 360-degree views of the city. For a fee, visitors can climb or take an elevator to the observation deck of the nearly 230-foot tower for views of the Adam and Eve towers of Tyn Cathedral across the square, the Jan Hus monument, Prague Castle, Strahov Monastery, the National Gallery, and the winding cobblestone streets and red-roofed buildings below.

Whether you prefer oil paintings or pastels, photography or wood carvings, metalwork or ornamental items, you’ll find excellent locally made samples at this large gallery in Charlotte Amalie. The wood pieces by Avelino Samuel are particularly attractive. The painted calabashes by Daniel Mead are unique to the region. Prices run the gamut, too, so there’s something for every budget.