As part of the reopening, “Making Waves: Ocean Ecology & Craft” will be extended through Aug. 21. (photo courtesy of Craft in America Center)

After more than a year of being closed to the public, the Craft in America Center reopened on Tuesday, May 4.

To celebrate their reopening, their current exhibition “Making Waves: Ocean Ecology & Craft” was extended to Aug. 21. This exhibition presents work by 11 artists who celebrate and champion oceans, while engaging with its numerous ecological and human-generated threats. The artists use various craft media to reflect the richness of the natural world that exists underwater and to shed light on the impact of climate change on bodies of water across the planet.

In representing nature through delicate, intricately manipulated materials, they echo how precious and delicate the environment, its natural assets and aquatic life truly are. Works in clay, glass and other materials can endure for millennia but they also have an inherent fragility. In other featured examples, artists adapt and reinterpret discarded materials to give them new life. These artworks document the beauty of the natural world that exists underwater and remind us about the need to protect these resources before we are left with nothing more than their artistic likeness. Artists include Christopher Edwards, Linda Gass, Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Timothy Horn, Po Shun Leong, Courtney Mattison, Jennifer McCurdy, Sarah McMenimen, Blue McRight, April Surgent and Joan Takayama-Ogawa.

As part of the museum’s new safety protocol, free advanced reservations will be required to visit through its new online reservation system. In compliance with the state of California and the Los Angeles County Department of Health, they are limiting capacity to four people every 30 minutes. Visiting hours will be Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and tickets will become available one week in advance of the preferred visitation date. Reservations can be made online or to rsvp@craftinamerica.org.

Craft in America Center is located at 8415 W. Third St. For information on scheduling a visit, reopening protocol and exhibits, visit craftinamerica.org/center.