Craft making, the act of using one’s hands to create something, has a long, varied, culturally specific history that ranges from quilting, weaving, ceramics, and embroidery to woodworking, among other forms. Until the advent of mass-
manufacturing, which automated the production of blankets, pillowcases, dishware, and blankets, crafting was required to make these necessary implements of living, with knowledge of these techniques being shared and passed down through generations. Despite crafting’s pragmatism, this was not a strictly utilitarian phenomenon; rather, craft making often served as an outlet of creativity and the artistic impulse, especially for women whose access to such realms was restricted. It is perhaps this synthetic function of crafting that characterized it best; it was both a practical and an imaginative exercise.
More recently, however, crafting has taken on a political dimension. Led by feminist scholars in the 1970s, who challenged the devaluation of the typically gendered art of crafting, it has been reclaimed as a means of empowerment through its enthusiastic 
practice by modern women. The crocheted ‘Pussyhats’ worn during the Women’s March of 2017 in Washington D.C. are a prominent example of the utilization of craft for political ends. Further, many artists around the world have adopted craft techniques in their work in order to highlight social, environmental, and economic injustices. In this exhibition, we will look at works by artists who have employed craft in their work in order to explore a range of topics, from livable wages to commercial waste, and consider how their different approaches to the politicization of craft operate.
