About Me
Emily Smucker-Beidler is a Lancaster, PA based Fraktur Artist and Redware Ornament Artisan. She is dedicated to preserving the history of Fraktur Art in the Pennsylvania Dutch and Mennonite history and sharing her knowledge through workshops and demonstrations.
She began making fraktur as a teenager, and today has made over 200 original pieces. Her passion for fine art painting is evident in her work, which is inspired by the rich cultural heritage of the region and is deeply rooted in the fraktur tradition.
HISTORY OF FRAKTUR
Fraktur was created by Pennsylvania Germans during the eighteenth through the mid nineteenth centuries and features calligraphic text decorated with colorful birds, hearts and flowers. The tradition has its roots in the illuminated manuscripts of medieval Europe but evolved into a distinctive part of the local Pennsylvania German culture. Today, those who appreciate this colorful folk art enjoy drawing their own fraktur designs based on the work of the early fraktur artists.
