In a recent article published in Literacy Today, Assistant Professor Reka C. Barton and co-author David Burroughs explore how craftivism, the intersection of crafting and activism, can expand the understanding of literacy, learning and social change.
Drawing on examples from Black history, artistic traditions and contemporary culture, Barton and Burroughs argue that artistic communities create knowledge in powerful ways that deserve recognition within disciplinary literacy practices. From quilting and braiding traditions to music, visual art and public installations, craftivism demonstrates how creative expression can preserve culture, foster community and inspire collective action.
The art of making and crafting has long been documented as a site of healing. The maker’s process and perspective, the art or craft, has a secondary experience as it moves through space and time and through communities. …
Whether it is gathering the collective through craftivism— such as the Giants exhibit, curated by Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats, or Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album, concert, and artistry—the arts and crafts have the power to gather and to inspire. When we create space for deep community partnership, we can demand attention and take collective action.
