While I know the phrase is often 'arts and crafts' I always thought the bigger split was between a science and an art, with the pre-modern distinctions (and maybe the modern ones) being almost as arbitrary as genders in language. I wouldn't put the distinction between art and craft much on gender, though. Painting is pretty unisex and normally considered an art while woodworking is more masculine but seems most often referred to as a craft like quilting. One possible breakdown is the more utilitarian the finished product can be (even if it isn't always) the more likely the process is called a craft rather than an art. This would put woodworking and quilting in the craft category while sculpting, carving, and painting would be arts.
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While I know the phrase is often 'arts and crafts' I always thought the bigger split was between a science and an art, with the pre-modern distinctions (and maybe the modern ones) being almost as arbitrary as genders in language. I wouldn't put the distinction between art and craft much on gender, though. Painting is pretty unisex and normally considered an art while woodworking is more masculine but seems most often referred to as a craft like quilting. One possible breakdown is the more utilitarian the finished product can be (even if it isn't always) the more likely the process is called a craft rather than an art. This would put woodworking and quilting in the craft category while sculpting, carving, and painting would be arts.
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