Craftivism: Melding of crafting, activism is having a moment
Colleen Haraden-Gorski uses her embroidery skills these days to embellish quilts made by students at school and community-centre workshops on themes of social justice and working together to make a difference.
Recently, she embroidered images of barbed wire and the serial numbers of concentration-camp victims on a square about the Holocaust. Another time, she worked on a square exploring prejudice within the African-American community about skin tone. Working on quilts that address historical injustices and current controversies provides her an outlet to communicate about issues important to her, and she is inspired by the work of the young people.
“I found my voice. It makes me feel hopeful,” said Haraden-Gorski, of Richmond, California, who also expresses her concerns by calling and emailing legislators. But “getting an automatic reply to an email or hearing a message that the legislator’s voicemail is too full — that’s not hopeful,” she said.
The combination of crafting and activism — sometimes called craftivism — is centuries-old. African-American slaves relayed information about the Underground Railroad through quilt squares. Suffragettes used sewing circles as a means of sharing political views. And women on both sides of the Civil War knit socks for soldiers to support the cause.
Early this year, women knit “pussy hats” ahead of Women’s Marches in Washington and around the country to protest Donald Trump’s election as president.
That post-election surge of activism is combining with a yearslong trend toward do-it-yourself crafts and a step back from technology, said Elizabeth Garber, a professor of art at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Handmade goods also have new visibility because of online sites like Etsy.com and photo-sharing platforms like Instagram.
Time spent crafting often leads to problem-solving because it stimulates creativity and provides an opportunity to process emotions, said Betsy Greer, founder of the website Craftivism.com. Handiwork can be a “softer” way to start political discussions, she said: “It can provide a way to talk about things that are hard to talk about.”
Haraden-Gorski volunteers for the Social Justice Sewing Academy in Antioch, California. The organization mails the quilt squares to her and other volunteers to embellish. The finished quilts are displayed to promote awareness and activism.
“We’re reclaiming these crafts,” said Academy founder Sara Trail.
Some crafters seek out such projects to become part of a public effort, while others might knit or sew items that they quietly donate to a homeless shelter, Garber said.
Attending a women’s march in Lansing, Michigan, led screen printer Marcy Davy to add products to her line that promote feminism and tolerance. She’s currently working on a poster for restaurants to hang in their kitchens outlining the rights of foreign-born workers.
“This was a big decision. This is how I make my living,” said the resident of Ypsilanti, Michigan. “I want to use the skills that I have to carry the momentum of resistance forward.”