Vehicles of Expression: The Craft of the Skateboard will be one of the first museum exhibitions in the U.S. to focus on the crafted innovations of skateboards, starting with their inception in southern California and ranging to contemporary, irreverent expressions from artists across the nation. Where other exhibitions have focused on deck art and visual culture of skateboarding, Vehicles of Expression focuses on the historical development of the skateboard as a constructed object, from rough-and-ready, homemade inventions with lumber, nails, and repurposed wheels, to contemporary high-tech, ecologically-conscious uses of materials, and ultimately, performative and conceptual works that perpetuate its spirit of continual exploration. Through choices of materials and finishing approaches, artists imbue their boards with both style and meaning. Some are made to be cherished simply as gorgeous objects and others are made for artful performance, stunts of deconstruction and midair transformation engineered into the boards; in each case, they depart radically from the the sports competitive aspect. With skatings spirit of undaunted exploration and ingenuity, the exhibition celebrates its diversity of approaches, being both trickster and diplomat. Intended to show wear and tear as badges of pride, these carefully crafted objects exist in a state of potential ephemerality. This show will expand definitions of craft, art, and performance by presenting multiple vantage points on this well loved and ubiquitous object. Vehicles of Expression is part of Handwork 2026,a nationwide semiquincentennial collaboration showcasing the importance of the handmade and celebrating the diversity of craft that defines America. The exhibition runs from March 14 to May 30 at the Craft in America Center in Los Angeles, Calif. To learn more, visit www.craftinamerica.org/center.