0:00:04.600,0:00:11.900 >> HRAG: Welcome, everyone. My name is Hrag Vartanian and I'm the editor-in-chief of Hyperallergic. 0:00:11.900,0:00:23.130 This is the second in the panel and I want to welcome everyone that's come for the first time and those who have come back. Welcome back. 0:00:23.130,0:00:30.150 In this panel we're going to talk about centering and re-centering craft in our social lives. We have a real 0:00:30.150,0:00:35.210 treat in the fact that all the people that will be presenting today really use craft 0:00:35.210,0:00:41.879 to either understand how communities come together, how they can think through critical 0:00:41.879,0:00:47.879 issues using craft itself, as well as people who have done their research and curate different 0:00:47.879,0:00:53.089 kinds of things around craft. So, I think it will be a really interesting topic, and 0:00:53.089,0:00:59.039 everyone will be speaking to the various questions we'll be tackling. I want to go through some 0:00:59.039,0:01:03.840 of the questions that we sort of presented as a beginning to this conversation, and that 0:01:03.840,0:01:10.460 includes what social experience can we build together in this new space. Of course, I think 0:01:10.460,0:01:14.799 this also represents what a lot of us have been talking about, which is it feels very 0:01:14.799,0:01:20.490 much like a new era is beginning and we're very much, you know, want craft art in all 0:01:20.490,0:01:28.259 these aspects of our lives, and to reflect this reality we're all feeling and seeing. 0:01:28.259,0:01:33.930 What other areas in craft thinking -- is craft thinking applicable? And what will we address 0:01:33.930,0:01:40.710 next? As well as what can we redesign and what curation voice is in all of this? So 0:01:40.710,0:01:47.890 I'm going to start by introducing Sarah, the director of the American Craft Council. Take 0:01:47.890,0:01:50.479 it away. 0:01:50.479,0:02:01.280 >> SARAH: Thanks. My video... there I am. Hello! Thanks, Hrag, I want to welcome everybody. 0:02:01.280,0:02:09.060 I want to begin by saying when we first conceived of this forum series, it was right after COVID 0:02:09.060,0:02:14.520 hit, and we found ourselves in a moment where we were all used to being physically together, 0:02:14.520,0:02:18.950 and we realized we all needed to find a way to convene differently. And really begin to 0:02:18.950,0:02:23.890 think about what this moment meant for us, and what this moment meant for us as makers, 0:02:23.890,0:02:29.810 and how as makers we were not only both impacted by it, but how were we being responsive. And 0:02:29.810,0:02:35.670 I think certainly, over the last three weeks, it's become clear that we're all really being 0:02:35.670,0:02:42.070 called on to face a truth. And the truth that we all need to participate in, and be accountable 0:02:42.070,0:02:47.080 for, is deep systemic change. And I think, as we have the conversation today, I think 0:02:47.080,0:02:51.030 that certainly is something, in creating this space, that is part of what we're trying to 0:02:51.030,0:02:57.341 do, is create the space for how we can both respond to and work together in that. And 0:02:57.341,0:03:02.790 I think coming together as a craft community is very important, and a very important part 0:03:02.790,0:03:08.240 of the American Craft Council's mission. I want to thank not only the participants, but I 0:03:08.240,0:03:14.090 want to really thank everybody, all of our partners in this program who have really been 0:03:14.090,0:03:19.650 not just helping to present, but really being intellectual and intellectual and creative 0:03:19.650,0:03:26.930 partners, particularly Hrag, and Hyperallergic, as I'm sure you're familiar is one of the 0:03:26.930,0:03:33.900 leading voices on contemporary art and is very near and dear to my heart. And I will 0:03:33.900,0:03:39.940 just put in a -- I will put in a slight pitch that they do remarkable work, and as part 0:03:39.940,0:03:47.150 of that remarkable work, they also created a membership program for you to help to join 0:03:47.150,0:03:51.870 and help support and keep the work going. And I do think in these moments that it's 0:03:51.870,0:03:59.280 actually important to kind of show up for the things that matter to us. I also really 0:03:59.280,0:04:05.160 want to thank our other partners, the Socially Engaged Craft Collective, the Smithsonian 0:04:05.160,0:04:11.420 Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and Critical Craft Forum. And I'm really very 0:04:11.420,0:04:16.940 honored today to introduce and welcome Namita Gupta Wiggers, who is the co-founder of Critical 0:04:16.940,0:04:22.760 Craft Forum, and also the director of the critical craft studies program at Warren Wilson 0:04:22.760,0:04:30.040 College. Namita has been on the forefront, not only creating a space, and literally a 0:04:30.040,0:04:34.920 virtual space for us for quite a while on her Critical Craft Forum. If you're not part 0:04:34.920,0:04:43.620 of that conversation on Facebook, I urge you to do that. It has become an even more vibrant 0:04:43.620,0:04:52.130 and critical part of the conversation now. Namita has also been a great intellectual 0:04:52.130,0:04:59.030 partner and a great guide for me as well, and for the Craft Council. So with that, I 0:04:59.030,0:05:06.480 would like to welcome Namita, and thank you again for your support of not only this forum, 0:05:06.480,0:05:12.810 but just the craft community -- all you've done for the craft community. 0:05:12.810,0:05:22.150 >> NAMITA: Thank you. Am I on? Everyone can hear me? Great! Thank you so much, Sarah. 0:05:22.150,0:05:28.980 And I don't usually read off of notes, but I think that right now at a particularly tough 0:05:28.980,0:05:34.010 time, and I want to make sure that I get what I wanted to share with everyone out there. 0:05:34.010,0:05:40.980 So I'm interested in today's program in multiple ways. Some are kind of obvious, through the 0:05:40.980,0:05:45.810 work I do at Critical Craft Forum, and also through the work of our students and faculty 0:05:45.810,0:05:51.491 and the MA in critical craft studies at Warren Wilson College. Critical Craft Forum is a 0:05:51.491,0:05:57.340 multi-facetted, decade-long project, and the most public part is the Facebook group which 0:05:57.340,0:06:04.540 has nearly 13,000 members right now. Social media, particularly right now, fits into this 0:06:04.540,0:06:10.910 discussion as one of the most visible public spheres or spaces, particularly as we deal 0:06:10.910,0:06:18.380 with this pandemic, and this space is perhaps the worst for the way people rely on sound 0:06:18.380,0:06:25.000 bites, and memes, and slogans to stand in for actions and communication. So the work 0:06:25.000,0:06:30.180 on Critical Craft Forum is about pushing people to actually have dialogue in the sense that 0:06:30.180,0:06:36.690 David Boem, the physicist, puts forward. This has been particularly challenging in the last 0:06:36.690,0:06:45.880 ten days, as we are experiencing protests and interests in fighting systemic racism 0:06:45.880,0:06:50.760 that we have never seen, across the globe. Not just in the U.S. but across the globe. 0:06:50.760,0:06:57.300 And this is only one of the places in which the daily labor of anti-racism work takes 0:06:57.300,0:07:05.490 place. The work I do as the director of the MA in critical craft studies at Warren Wilson 0:07:05.490,0:07:11.380 College. And one of our students, Darrah Bowden has been actively involved in developing the 0:07:11.380,0:07:18.080 program. Darrah's work is an example of what our program is about, about working to create 0:07:18.080,0:07:24.889 a space to unsettle commonalty, to bring intersectional and cultural discourse into view, to understand 0:07:24.889,0:07:30.342 what craft is, has been and what craft can be. To expand narratives, and pay attention 0:07:30.342,0:07:37.240 to who is visible in the narratives, and who is not. In terms of thinking about this for 0:07:37.240,0:07:43.080 the future, I think we could do well to look to theater and music industries and the way 0:07:43.080,0:07:48.510 they are re-thinking gatherings, and public spaces, and what they need to do to adapt 0:07:48.510,0:07:57.419 under these new health conditions. Fundamentally, the craftscape needs to change. Systemic racism 0:07:57.419,0:08:05.270 is deeply embedded here, and for me this work that I do is a daily embodied practice. I 0:08:05.270,0:08:11.460 look forward to change and I'm hoping, perhaps naively, this is the moment in which the statements 0:08:11.460,0:08:17.979 that are issued by institutions and organizations no longer function as these sort of social 0:08:17.979,0:08:23.949 uplift edifices, but are actually catalysts for real action and real social change. That 0:08:23.949,0:08:28.900 is what our students are working towards. That's what they have been preparing for for 0:08:28.900,0:08:34.530 the last two years, and from before even entering our program. So get ready... because they 0:08:34.530,0:08:41.079 are ready to work, and they are ready to engage with you, as we go forward into whatever is 0:08:41.079,0:08:46.040 coming next. Just the last thing I wanted to share is I think a lot right now about 0:08:46.040,0:08:52.740 Mr. Rogers, and I know that's a funny thing to say, but I think about how Mr. Rogers said 0:08:52.740,0:08:58.029 to look for the helpers. And I would actually say right now we should look for the workers. 0:08:58.029,0:09:03.149 Look for the people who are doing the work, find them, and figure out how to engage them 0:09:03.149,0:09:10.209 as we go forward from here. So thank you for engaging Critical Craft Forum in the program, 0:09:10.209,0:09:14.959 and thank you for inviting my participation. 0:09:14.959,0:09:24.879 >> HRAG: Great. Thank you, Namita. And thank you, Sarah, for the introduction. So we're 0:09:24.879,0:09:29.509 going to start. And the format for today's event is there will be a short video that 0:09:29.509,0:09:36.449 precedes each speaker, and each speaker will do a short presentation followed by some questions. 0:09:36.449,0:09:42.180 And I want to really encourage people to put all their questions in the chat, and I will 0:09:42.180,0:09:47.759 definitely be taking a look, as well as Rachel will also be helping me to make sure that 0:09:47.759,0:09:54.089 all your questions will be answered. So we're going to start. The first video is a look 0:09:54.089,0:10:07.300 at Zahit Mungan in Turkey, the southeastern province of Magene. He continues to work to 0:10:07.300,0:10:12.000 bring community together through his craft. We're going to start with that video 0:14:20.900,0:14:26.989 >> HRAG: Great. Thank you. And so now we have Darrah Bowden, who will be speaking about 0:14:26.989,0:14:31.529 a really interesting kite project -- and she brought her own kite background, which is 0:14:31.529,0:14:39.899 a nice little feature. She's a quilter, a cultural specialist -- I'm sorry, a maker, 0:14:39.899,0:14:45.700 ceramicist, a historian and inaugural graduate of the MA in critical craft studies at Warren 0:14:45.700,0:14:49.029 Wilson College. So, Darrah, you have the floor... 0:14:49.029,0:14:55.360 >> DARRAH: Thank you, Hrag, Sarah, and Namita, and thank you to Scott and the American Craft 0:14:55.360,0:15:06.649 Council for having me here. I'm going to share my screen. And we'll get this started here. 0:15:06.649,0:15:12.040 So today I'm going to share some of the research that I worked on for my MA in critical craft 0:15:12.040,0:15:18.379 studies at Warren Wilson College, which is a fantastic graduate program under the direction 0:15:18.379,0:15:20.209 of Namita Gupta Wiggers. 0:15:20.209,0:15:26.290 I'm a kite flyer and I entered this program knowing that I wanted to study the craft of 0:15:26.290,0:15:32.170 kites. Kites are handcrafted objects designed and used by people all over the world. They 0:15:32.170,0:15:38.630 are a reflection of local available materials, socially shared knowledge, and conditions 0:15:38.630,0:15:44.009 of landscape, wind and space. And kites carry different meanings in different cultures, 0:15:44.009,0:15:50.680 but just like we saw in the film from Zahit Mungan, in Turkey, I have noticed that kite-flying 0:15:50.680,0:15:56.489 practices are advanced by individuals, and knowledge is spread person to person, and 0:15:56.489,0:16:03.379 responds to environmental and social changes. I'm going to tell you about a kite festival 0:16:03.379,0:16:10.430 that started 50 years ago in Boston, which is where I live. It brought a whole city together 0:16:10.430,0:16:17.459 around the craft of making and flying kites. It all started at the Harvard Graduate School 0:16:17.459,0:16:23.279 of Design in the mid-1960s when architecture students would hold an annual kite design 0:16:23.279,0:16:29.589 and flying competition on the banks of the Charles River. Staff member and artist, Claire 0:16:29.589,0:16:35.800 Wainwright, was inspired to organize a kite competition for the whole city to enjoy. She 0:16:35.800,0:16:40.670 gathered a group of architects and designers to form the Committee for the Better Use of 0:16:40.670,0:16:46.670 Air, to help plan a spectacular event that would engage children, adults, and as many 0:16:46.670,0:16:52.839 people as possible, in different spaces throughout the city. The Boston parks commissioner enthusiastically 0:16:52.839,0:16:58.459 supported the festival, and suggested they hold it on the golf course of Franklin Park, 0:16:58.459,0:17:06.990 which is a vast 485-acre green space in Boston, that encompasses the golf course, woodlands, 0:17:06.990,0:17:12.199 a pond, zoo, multiple playgrounds, and fields. So, the Committee for the Better Use of Air 0:17:12.199,0:17:18.039 had architecture colleagues conduct kite making workshops for children across 15 different 0:17:18.039,0:17:25.579 parks and facilities across Boston, for free, totally free materials and instruction. They 0:17:25.579,0:17:30.220 organized an exhibition of kites from the collection of Charles and Ray Eames in the 0:17:30.220,0:17:35.559 brand-new city hall building, which opened a few months before. They pulled together 0:17:35.559,0:17:41.519 a panel of local celebrity judges, which included a star football player from the New England 0:17:41.519,0:17:49.029 Patriots, curators from the Museum of Fine Arts and the Institute for Contemporary Artthe 0:17:49.029,0:17:55.399 actor who played Bozo the clown on TV, a skydiver judging the highest flying kite from the air, 0:17:55.399,0:18:02.409 and a writer from Life Magazine went up in a hot air balloon. Other judges were hoisted 0:18:02.409,0:18:07.550 in cherry pickers to get a good view of the proceedings. This is Claire Wainwright, the 0:18:07.550,0:18:14.419 founder, in that lift bucket there. They handed out dozens of prizes for all kinds of kites. 0:18:14.419,0:18:20.639 And this slide serves as a reminder of just some of the things happening at the same time 0:18:20.639,0:18:25.389 that this kite festival was going on. You can see the front page of the Boston Sunday 0:18:25.389,0:18:30.389 Globe, the kite festival is getting sort of top billing right alongside the dress rehearsal 0:18:30.389,0:18:37.571 for the moon landing, and the Vietnam War was going on, of course, at this time. This 0:18:37.571,0:18:43.880 is also just a little more than one year following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 0:18:43.880,0:18:49.940 and almost a year since the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Franklin Park itself 0:18:49.940,0:18:55.539 is bordered by black neighborhoods, which were impacted by redlining and other forms 0:18:55.539,0:19:02.309 of systemic racism. In 1969 black families in Boston were already engaged in a struggle 0:19:02.309,0:19:07.000 to secure equal educational resources for their children through the desegregation of 0:19:07.000,0:19:12.159 Boston public schools. And the annual kite festival continued well into the period known 0:19:12.159,0:19:18.929 as the Boston busing crisis, which started in 1974 when mostly white families rioted 0:19:18.929,0:19:25.860 and campaigned against busing and desegregation of the public schools. So, what can this event 0:19:25.860,0:19:31.481 teach us about a social experience we might organize around craft in this moment? I want 0:19:31.481,0:19:38.630 to be clear this kite festival did not solve Boston's problems with institutional racism, 0:19:38.630,0:19:44.669 but it did become an annual opportunity for collective joy. Boston still has an annual 0:19:44.669,0:19:50.279 kite festival in May. It's held on a smaller field within Franklin Park, and it's called 0:19:50.279,0:19:55.571 the Kite and Bike Festival. Last May I met families who have been attending the festival 0:19:55.571,0:20:03.279 for three generations, and many people said it was their favorite day of the year. And 0:20:03.279,0:20:08.919 kite flyers, like me, don't need to be part of a festival to transform public space into 0:20:08.919,0:20:14.529 a spectacular aerial craft exhibition. One of the things that excites me about kites 0:20:14.529,0:20:19.570 as a craft is that there are virtually no economic barriers to making and using them, 0:20:19.570,0:20:25.470 and their potential as a form of expression and connection feels limitless. In recent 0:20:25.470,0:20:31.230 months, during the COVID-19 shutdown, I got out to fly kites just a handful of times on 0:20:31.230,0:20:36.750 a basically deserted beach near here. And I never have had anyone question my right 0:20:36.750,0:20:43.630 to fly kites in a public space, even during the pandemic. But the murder of Ahmaud Arbery 0:20:43.630,0:20:48.350 while jogging, and the threat made to Christian Cooper's life while bird-watching in Central 0:20:48.350,0:20:53.540 Park, and now demonstrations in the streets against police brutality and for Black Lives 0:20:53.540,0:20:58.820 Matter, have led me to reflect on what it means to use public space as a white body. 0:20:58.820,0:21:06.259 And though kite-making and kite flying outdoors is technically free, it should be equally 0:21:06.259,0:21:08.650 carefree for all. 0:21:08.650,0:21:15.440 >> HRAG: Thanks, Darrah. You know, one of the things in our conversation preparing for 0:21:15.440,0:21:20.990 this that I think helped illuminate how important this was, is the fact that you mentioned that 0:21:20.990,0:21:27.500 kite flying was actually banned in Central Park until 1968. Which gives a little context. 0:21:27.500,0:21:33.330 So what was it? Was it across the country there was sort of a new interest in kite flying 0:21:33.330,0:21:35.309 generally? How would you characterize it? 0:21:35.309,0:21:42.250 >> DARRAH: It seems like the 1960s, mid-1960s, there was a huge resurgence of interest in 0:21:42.250,0:21:47.909 kite flying. Certainly people were doing it before then, but that is when you start to 0:21:47.909,0:21:54.820 see groups forming around kite flying, like the American Kite Flyers Association was founded 0:21:54.820,0:22:03.919 in, I think, 1964 or '65, right around in there. You start to see kite festivals specifically 0:22:03.919,0:22:11.000 starting -- I know one started in Maryland in 1967 -- so, yeah, there was definitely, 0:22:11.000,0:22:17.490 like, a growing interest in kites and kite flying as sort of this social activity that 0:22:17.490,0:22:22.130 people were forming organizations around and formalizing in that way. 0:22:22.130,0:22:27.500 >> HRAG: And then one of the things, obviously, when talking about these sort of social projects, 0:22:27.500,0:22:32.250 funding is always a question about something like this. Now, how was a project like this 0:22:32.250,0:22:35.750 funded? And were they able to sustain it for so long? 0:22:35.750,0:22:43.279 >> DARRAH: Yeah. So the Great Boston Kite Festival was specifically the founder, Claire 0:22:43.279,0:22:48.470 Wainwright, she told me she has a connection with the Boston Globe and she went there and 0:22:48.470,0:22:53.960 they said, “oh, we'll fund the whole thing for you. You just need $6,000? We'll write 0:22:53.960,0:22:58.990 you a check.” But she said, “no.” She wanted to -- very specifically -- wanted to 0:22:58.990,0:23:07.440 gather sponsorships from many, many different organizations. She very deliberately distributed 0:23:07.440,0:23:14.570 funding in smaller pieces from many organizations. I think partly to sort of avoid, you know, 0:23:14.570,0:23:22.350 having one organization claim it as their own. So it was really this multi-institution 0:23:22.350,0:23:28.400 kind of event that gathered a lot of support from a lot of different places around the city 0:23:28.420,0:23:33.049 >> HRAG: And what were some of the biggest surprises in your research in general? Because, 0:23:33.049,0:23:38.820 you know, it sounds like an incredibly fascinating project, you know, but there seems to be so 0:23:38.820,0:23:40.190 many moving parts to it. 0:23:40.190,0:23:46.779 >> DARRAH: Oh, yeah. Well, what are the most surprising things? I don't know... one of 0:23:46.779,0:23:52.530 the great surprising things is just I have been finding... where I find these resources, 0:23:52.530,0:23:57.960 or the archival materials, they just sort of keep bubbling to the surface. When I started 0:23:57.960,0:24:03.649 this, I felt like I wasn't seeing a lot of things written about kites. I mean, there's 0:24:03.649,0:24:09.990 a few sort of niche publications that are devoted to kites, but you don't see a lot 0:24:09.990,0:24:16.540 sort of generally written about them. That’s why I wanted to pursue this project. So, one 0:24:16.540,0:24:24.149 of the great pleasures was finding little troves of archival material here and there. 0:24:24.149,0:24:30.460 And even since I've completed my thesis, but even in the weeks since, I'll find -- oh -- here 0:24:30.460,0:24:35.700 is another archive at MIT where I found a bunch of new photos that I had never seen 0:24:35.700,0:24:42.129 before. Or somebody uploads their collection of photos from the '60s to Flickr and suddenly 0:24:42.129,0:24:48.230 I see new documentation that I had never seen before. I think that's one of the great things, 0:24:48.230,0:24:55.570 specifically, about this kite festival and researching that. Also just finding the breadth 0:24:55.570,0:25:02.010 of kite activity that has happened local to me. And that was something I wanted to base 0:25:02.010,0:25:10.070 my project in my local region and see what has happened here. Because kite flying in 0:25:10.070,0:25:14.789 different places -- and we just saw in Turkey people are flying from their rooftops, and 0:25:14.789,0:25:20.289 that's not how people fly kites in Boston, because we don't have so many flat roofs... 0:25:20.289,0:25:24.450 I don't know if there are other reasons for that. But I think that's a really interesting 0:25:24.450,0:25:25.450 part of it. 0:25:25.450,0:25:33.399 >> HRAG: And Diana N'Diaye, our next speaker, had mentioned the influx of immigrants from 0:25:33.399,0:25:39.169 the Caribbean, and other places, where kite flying is much more popular, or at the time, 0:25:39.169,0:25:44.590 probably had a huge impact on that. So I just wanted to note that. And also there's a question 0:25:44.590,0:25:49.310 from Fabio about the fact... to what ends did the Harvard graduate school of design 0:25:49.310,0:25:55.759 utilize kites and kite making? What was their interest in this? 0:25:55.759,0:26:03.330 >> DARRAH: That's a great question. Thank you, Fabio. So I know that this annual kite 0:26:03.330,0:26:08.370 flight, which took several different names. I saw it in the documentation, and I think 0:26:08.370,0:26:13.639 it was for a few years in the mid-1960s. I don't think it necessarily continued for more 0:26:13.639,0:26:19.799 than five years or so, and my understanding is it happened mostly when Benjamin Thompson 0:26:19.799,0:26:24.580 was the director of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and my understanding is it was 0:26:24.580,0:26:34.230 a one-day festival or one-day event. I don't know that they necessarily did things with 0:26:34.230,0:26:40.529 it beyond that period, but that is something, you know, when I started this project, I thought, 0:26:40.529,0:26:46.480 “oh, I'm going to find a connection there between that sort of kite event and then other 0:26:46.480,0:26:53.820 sort of design education-based kite events that I found out about.’ So I know Haystack 0:26:53.820,0:27:01.559 Mountain School of Crafts had kite days in the 1960s as well, and the Bauhaus had kites 0:27:01.559,0:27:10.269 in the early 1920s. These were annual events at these places. They seemed to last for a 0:27:10.269,0:27:16.389 few years, but I didn't find evidence that they necessarily were like going on for decades. 0:27:16.389,0:27:19.209 So, interesting question. 0:27:19.209,0:27:21.089 >> HRAG: [ muted ] 0:27:21.089,0:27:23.909 >> DARRAH: You're muted. 0:27:23.909,0:27:28.610 >> HRAG: Thank you so much. So we're going to continue on to the next video. Darrah, 0:27:28.610,0:27:33.700 thank you so much for the presentation. And I'm sure people have questions afterwards. 0:27:33.700,0:27:38.950 So the next video we're going to be watching is the "Women of Color Quilters Network" film 0:27:38.950,0:27:44.679 that talks about more than 1,000 women of color in this community largely from the south, 0:27:44.679,0:27:50.710 where mostly over the age of 65, with little access to technology. One cannot think of 0:27:50.710,0:27:56.380 a more vulnerable community for a global pandemic to possibly hit. The Quilt network lost several 0:27:56.380,0:28:02.519 members actually to COVID-19 this year and co-founder Carolyn Mazloomi speaks to ways 0:28:02.519,0:28:08.570 the community stood up in support to take on the pandemic. So we're going to watch that 0:28:08.570,0:28:09.570 now. 0:28:09.570,0:28:12.139 [NOT] IN ISOLATION FILM: WOMEN OF COLOR QUILTERS NETWORK 0:28:12.139,0:28:17.710 >> Hello. My name is Carolyn Mazloomi and I am the director and founder of Women of 0:28:17.710,0:28:24.570 Color Quilters Network. Women of Color Quilters Network is a non-profit organization that 0:28:24.570,0:28:36.700 was founded in 1985 to educate, preserve, present, promote, and sell African American-made 0:28:36.700,0:28:45.159 quilts. We have over 700 members scattered across 42 states. I have to say that COVID-19 0:28:45.159,0:28:53.540 has really affected the Women of Color Quilters Network in ways we never thought we would 0:28:53.540,0:29:02.850 see. Over the years, over the last 37 years, we presented quilts at exhibitions, not only 0:29:02.850,0:29:12.539 in this country, but internationally. Since this pandemic, we've made collectively over 0:29:12.539,0:29:26.669 21,000 masks in the last one and a half months. Those masks have been distributed to PPEs, 0:29:26.669,0:29:36.809 to churches, to funeral homes, to businesses, to our friends and family. And throughout 0:29:36.809,0:29:45.091 this we have had seven network members that have died as a result of COVID-19. I myself 0:29:45.091,0:29:58.630 have had a member in my family die from COVID-19. Making the masks has been a call to service. 0:29:58.630,0:30:05.240 We felt, many of us, that we had to... we had to do something. We had to give back. 0:30:05.240,0:30:15.529 We had to help because we saw so many African Americans across the United States were being 0:30:15.529,0:30:25.360 disproportionately affected by this virus. Although we were just 13% of the population, 0:30:25.360,0:30:36.440 in some states we were almost 40% and over of those that are dying from this virus. So 0:30:36.440,0:30:45.350 to do something to help really was for us a clarion call. So we started making masks. 0:30:45.350,0:30:54.940 We have members who have made -- I call them utilitarian masks. And I especially think 0:30:54.940,0:31:04.020 about Dorothy Burge, a member in Chicago who decided to make masks for the youth in her 0:31:04.020,0:31:14.249 community, because she saw that the African American kids in her community were not wearing 0:31:14.249,0:31:21.289 masks. And it was so important, since we're being disproportionately affected, she thought 0:31:21.289,0:31:28.409 it important that they wear masks. So she made them and set about educating them on 0:31:28.409,0:31:38.700 the importance of protecting themselves against this virus. At the same time, we have some 0:31:38.700,0:31:49.720 artists that have leaped, taken a leap from the utilitarian mask into making masks as 0:31:49.720,0:31:56.629 art, and in particular I'm thinking about the artist Carolyn Crump from Houston, Texas, 0:31:56.629,0:32:05.340 that makes art masks. She’s making these masks to supplement her income, because a 0:32:05.340,0:32:14.799 lot of her income has been lost. She makes quilts and quilt-related items for museum 0:32:14.799,0:32:22.049 shops across the country. One of the things that has happened since this pandemic, instead 0:32:22.049,0:32:30.470 of the traditional way of doing these exhibits and selling at gift shops, so we are taking 0:32:30.470,0:32:38.369 this network in another direction insofar as marketing, which is a totally new experience 0:32:38.369,0:32:46.610 for us. And it's thrown us a learning curve, so we're in the process of learning how to 0:32:46.610,0:32:56.940 take care of this new business. In some sense, the COVID-19 pandemic has been quite devastating, 0:32:56.940,0:33:07.470 and in another sense it's increased our awareness about marketing and other tools in which to 0:33:07.470,0:33:18.600 help sustain ourselves. That is an awakening for us. The creation of artwork by members 0:33:18.600,0:33:30.100 of the network, artwork that deals with the victims, the families, the support teams, 0:33:30.100,0:33:44.370 the medical staff. Those stories are being utilized and they inspire quilts. I am interested 0:33:44.370,0:33:51.820 as an historian and a writer to see what's the result of the network members telling 0:33:51.820,0:34:02.770 these stories? We are known for our quilts, particularly narrative or story quilts. Most 0:34:02.770,0:34:11.899 of the shows that we do, most of the quilts that we produce, deal with stories. I want 0:34:11.899,0:34:18.910 to see how this story is going to play out in the artwork that is created by the network. 0:34:18.910,0:34:28.730 I'm interested to see what is going to be visually written in this new chapter in our 0:34:28.730,0:34:35.380 history, here in America, dealing with this pandemic. And the lives that it has touched, 0:34:35.380,0:34:43.290 the lives that have been taken from us, and the quilts that we'll celebrate those people 0:34:43.290,0:34:55.180 that have left. So I'm waiting to see, waiting to see what these memories bring, as we, the 0:34:55.180,0:35:02.751 Women of Color Quilters Network use needle and thread to tell our stories. And to tell 0:35:02.751,0:35:10.200 the story of our people, tell the story of our nation, and the results of this pandemic. 0:35:18.200,0:35:22.440 >> HRAG: That was a wonderful video and I'm so glad it touched on the realities that many 0:35:22.440,0:35:27.901 of our lives are being impacted by COVID and our families are being impacted. So I want 0:35:27.901,0:35:34.800 to introduce Dr. Diana Baird N'Diaye a quilter, folklorist, and cultural specialist and curator 0:35:34.800,0:35:43.490 at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. You have the floor. 0:35:43.490,0:35:56.370 >> DIANA: Thank you. I think that it's so important when we think about, you know, how 0:35:56.370,0:36:06.400 craft can address some of the issues that are central to what is going on right now. 0:36:06.400,0:36:14.830 I love what Carolyn Mazloomi said about using needle and thread to tell our stories. And 0:36:14.830,0:36:25.370 I think that telling our own stories is really essential to 0:36:25.370,0:36:32.350 making sure that the story is told from a perspective that is important. There is a 0:36:32.350,0:36:43.530 proverb that says that the -- the tale -- I'm saying it in a different way, but the tale 0:36:43.530,0:36:55.430 told by the lion about an event is very different from the tale told by the hunter. And so I 0:36:55.430,0:37:05.500 think that central to this issue is how craft can help us to tell our own stories. I'm going 0:37:05.500,0:37:13.230 to talk for maybe three minutes about some of the projects that I've been involved with 0:37:13.230,0:37:19.570 the Smithsonian, and then talk a little bit about my own work. I'm going to try to share 0:37:19.570,0:37:32.130 the screen. But before I do, these are really incredible times. And I do have to talk about 0:37:32.130,0:37:42.800 those martyrs who have -- some of those martyrs who have given their lives in police violence, 0:37:42.800,0:37:52.790 that have -- and to remember what they did from George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, Dion Johnson, 0:37:52.790,0:38:03.800 Sarah Bland, Emmett Till. You know, we have to keep on saying their names and recognizing 0:38:03.800,0:38:15.770 that their lives matter and that Black Lives Matter. So I'm going to share my screen now. 0:38:15.770,0:38:26.391 >> JASON: At the bottom of the screen you have the green button to share screen, and 0:38:26.391,0:38:29.630 then select your desktop and click okay. 0:38:29.630,0:38:43.270 >> DIANA: Okay. I'll put this up here. Okay... so one of the stories that we tell visually 0:38:43.270,0:38:44.510 is through our -- 0:38:44.510,0:38:46.110 >> JASON: Diana? 0:38:46.110,0:38:47.770 >> DIANA: Can you see? 0:38:47.770,0:38:52.270 >> JASON: No, we are not yet seeing your screen. 0:38:52.270,0:38:55.570 >> DIANA: Okay. Shoot. 0:38:55.570,0:38:57.390 You might have to... 0:38:57.390,0:39:02.110 >> JASON: I can pull up the PowerPoint for you and share it on my screen. 0:39:02.110,0:39:08.540 >> DIANA: That would be great. That would be wonderful. Thank you. 0:39:08.540,0:39:13.000 >> JASON: Give me just a moment here. 0:39:13.000,0:39:15.940 >> DIANA: Are you able to see the PowerPoint now? 0:39:15.940,0:39:20.530 >> DIANA: I'm not, but I hope everyone else is. 0:39:20.530,0:39:22.470 >> HRAG: I can see it. 0:39:22.470,0:39:27.180 >> JASON: Diana, if you want to give me cues when to advance the slides, I'll take care 0:39:27.180,0:39:28.490 of that for you. 0:39:28.490,0:39:40.420 >> DIANA: Sure. So the work in the Smithsonian, for about ten years now, has to do with African 0:39:40.420,0:39:47.450 American identity and the aesthetics of diversity, of African American diversity, and recognizing 0:39:47.450,0:40:01.110 that dress is an artform. Dress is a craft with its own aesthetic and its own meanings. 0:40:01.110,0:40:12.750 Through African American dress, including hair braiding and hairstyling, we tell stories, 0:40:12.750,0:40:21.990 and we resist. And that is a very important part telling those stories, which we've called 0:40:21.990,0:40:30.310 in the project sartorial autobiographies, that's a very important part of craft thinking. 0:40:30.310,0:40:41.050 The second... because we are all connected globally to the second project, that is a 0:40:41.050,0:40:47.270 new project is... we started the Folklife Festival, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. 0:40:47.270,0:40:54.500 Some of the questions are relevant to the discussion today. What is the role of community-based 0:40:54.500,0:41:00.590 cultural heritage enterprise, and building cultural vitality and sustainability? What 0:41:00.590,0:41:07.390 are the conditions under which they can serve for community resilience? COVID-19 has created 0:41:07.390,0:41:18.780 an economic crisis, and one of the ways that we look at an economic crisis, many people, 0:41:18.780,0:41:27.000 many craft people, are looking for new ways to create income, especially in the African 0:41:27.000,0:41:34.500 American community. It makes a difference. If barbering and hairdressing is a craft form, 0:41:34.500,0:41:47.080 you know, what happens there when that's not possible? Three, how are skills and knowledge 0:41:47.080,0:41:52.680 transmitted from generation to generation? And how does this in turn -- how does this 0:41:52.680,0:41:59.220 process of transmission strengthen intergenerational bonds? All of these are very relevant to the 0:41:59.220,0:42:08.030 domestic scene as well. What opportunities do community-based cultural heritage enterprises 0:42:08.030,0:42:14.050 offer for people both within and outside of a local culture, identify, and appreciate 0:42:14.050,0:42:23.780 their own value and know-how and local aesthetics? These are questions that are both global, 0:42:23.780,0:42:33.530 and especially in regard to people of African descent, and also they're very local. So the 0:42:33.530,0:42:39.790 project that I wanted to talk about is something that I have been thinking about for the past 0:42:39.790,0:42:56.660 few years, and it's a form that combines quilting, needlework, and the opportunity to create 0:42:56.660,0:43:08.890 new spaces. So this is the Mending Blind, and the Hunting Blind -- a Hunting Blind is 0:43:08.890,0:43:14.990 a -- it's a... can you hear me? 0:43:14.990,0:43:17.030 >> JASON: I can hear you. 0:43:17.030,0:43:22.460 >> DIANA: I'm sorry, I went to 5 and then 6 and then 7. 0:43:22.460,0:43:25.099 >> JASON: Can you advise if I'm on the correct slide? 0:43:25.099,0:43:39.530 >> DIANA: So [slide] 5. And then that is the Mending Blind. [Slide] 6, a definition of 0:43:39.530,0:43:46.610 a Hunting Blind, a small portable structure covered with images of foliage to disguise 0:43:46.610,0:43:52.760 the presence of hunters by blending with their surroundings. Used by hunters to kill, and 0:43:52.760,0:43:59.640 to do violence to their prey. And then [slide] 7, a little bit more about that. This is an 0:43:59.640,0:44:09.210 example of a hunting blind. And then [slide] 8. So, hunters -- I came across this, and 0:44:09.210,0:44:17.820 I'm not from a family or a social group that hunts -- they put up these structures in the 0:44:17.820,0:44:25.310 forest and ironically they're covered with images of living things, of plants and foliage, 0:44:25.310,0:44:37.900 to disguise their presence. And the interiors are really kind of beautiful and room-like. 0:44:37.900,0:44:45.310 They're constructed to be portable and erect quickly. In craft thinking, what we talk about 0:44:45.310,0:44:59.090 is transforming spaces to look at new kinds of things. So [slide] 8... so the idea here 0:44:59.090,0:45:09.160 was to look at you know, how we can use what we do to contribute to new realities, new 0:45:09.160,0:45:23.130 ways of doing things. [Slide] 9... a hunters blind has an interesting definition. It's 0:45:23.130,0:45:28.790 “something to hinder or keep out light, a place of concealment, concealing enclosure 0:45:28.790,0:45:35.900 from which one may shoot game or observe wildlife. Something put forward for the purpose of misleading.” 0:45:35.900,0:45:41.800 We've had lots of that in subterfuge. “A person who acts as a decoy or distraction, 0:45:41.800,0:45:52.240 sightless.” I think that in many ways what we're talking about is the crisis facing institutionalized 0:45:52.240,0:46:04.200 racism as blindness. So in the ordinary speech, in the ordinary use of the word, blindness 0:46:04.200,0:46:23.110 can be that. And certainly [slide] 10, in the case of what we have seen recently, the 0:46:23.110,0:46:34.660 African American communities have been the victim of hunting blinds, and what I call 0:46:34.660,0:46:41.890 “fast kill” and “slow kill.” “Fast kill,” dating back to the days of slavery 0:46:41.890,0:46:48.550 and colonization, people of color have been hunted rather than hunters. And we all are 0:46:48.550,0:46:54.000 becoming aware of the history of kidnappings, capture, imprisonment, gun violence, that 0:46:54.000,0:47:02.190 began with slavery and that continues today. But there's also “slow kill,” [slide] 0:47:02.190,0:47:11.700 11 and “slow kill” is... are those things to which we don't... it's not easy to see 0:47:11.700,0:47:21.020 every day, but it's happening every day. Thefood insecurity, the stresses, you know, of living 0:47:21.020,0:47:30.100 in a racist society, all of these things here augment the rates of environmentally triggered 0:47:30.100,0:47:37.900 allergies, asthma, diabetes, and now PTSD-related suicides, and now COVID-19, which are all 0:47:37.900,0:47:44.320 much, much higher among African Americans. And so there's “fast kill,” [slide] 10, 0:47:44.320,0:47:52.710 slide 10, and “slow kill.” There may not be a physical hunter's blind, but certainly 0:47:52.710,0:47:57.810 this has been the condition in which people have found themselves. [Slide] 12... so what 0:47:57.810,0:48:07.490 do we need to do to mend? That's 12. “To mend, to restore to health, to patch up, to 0:48:07.490,0:48:18.820 appear, to set right, to correct.” A mend can also be a mended place, and this is why 0:48:18.820,0:48:29.440 the mending blind came into being. [Slide] 13... so the idea of the mending blind is 0:48:29.440,0:48:36.700 rather to use the structure as an accessory to killing. It offers shelter and sanctuary, 0:48:36.700,0:48:42.040 holds space for healing and mending, and mending both socks and souls, tears and textiles, 0:48:42.040,0:48:48.981 and relationships. The blind transformed is a space for meditation, contemplation, or 0:48:48.981,0:48:59.060 intimate conservation. It’s both metaphorically and actually a place that we can start having 0:48:59.060,0:49:03.600 those important conversations. [Slide] 14... 0:49:03.600,0:49:11.590 >> HRAG: So, Diana, because we're a little limited in time, if there are some other images 0:49:11.590,0:49:16.900 you can show, we can see if there are questions. I think you've done a good job of introducing 0:49:16.900,0:49:22.580 the complexity of an object like this and where it comes from. But could you also talk 0:49:22.580,0:49:26.490 a little bit about some of the techniques and the different kinds of techniques you're 0:49:26.490,0:49:28.890 using in the mending? 0:49:28.890,0:49:39.600 >> DIANA: Sure. And if you can just go through the rest of the... [Slide] 16... the mending 0:49:39.600,0:49:47.560 is not only, you know, those things that our grandparents did to mend our clothes, darning 0:49:47.560,0:49:55.280 techniques, running stitches, and so on, but also the stitches that are used in quilting, 0:49:55.280,0:50:02.300 the applique lace-making, the way we transform our spaces. And so those are things that we're 0:50:02.300,0:50:06.390 using. If you could switch to slide [ audio distortion ] 0:50:06.390,0:50:15.330 >> JASON: My audio broke up for a second. Can you say the slide again? 0:50:15.330,0:50:26.110 >> DIANA: [Slide] 20. And then finally [slide] 21. And some of these things have come back 0:50:26.110,0:50:31.860 into... as most of us have been in our homes, some of these skills have come back into use 0:50:31.860,0:50:38.610 to make masks for our family, our friends, and for hospitals and the people who need 0:50:38.610,0:50:45.230 it right now. So that's it, [slide] 21. 0:50:45.230,0:50:59.609 >> DIANA: So, again, it's repurposing the very simple needle and thread to new purposes. 0:50:59.609,0:51:09.380 >> HRAG: Great. I'm so glad you presented on the mending, the blind, because I think 0:51:09.380,0:51:15.110 it really does capture so many things, as well as making something that traditionally 0:51:15.110,0:51:19.390 is supposed to disappear, and making it very visible, but not only making it visible, making 0:51:19.390,0:51:26.661 it safe. I think there's a real beauty to that, Diana. Thank you so much for that. I 0:51:26.661,0:51:31.360 just want to ask, you know, if anybody has any questions. We might have a few minutes 0:51:31.360,0:51:35.520 at the end, so we'll keep them for that. If it's alright with you, Diana, we'll continue 0:51:35.520,0:51:37.349 on to the next speaker. 0:51:37.349,0:51:39.119 >> DIANA: Sure. 0:51:39.119,0:51:46.970 >> HRAG: Great. Thank you. So next we're going to be seeing a film, a short video by Aram 0:51:46.970,0:51:58.770 Han Sifuentes, talking about the global pandemic spread, closing studio 0:51:58.770,0:52:03.410 practices, halting makers economies, and affecting the supply chain, which I'm sure something 0:52:03.410,0:52:12.320 everyone is being impacted by. There are social practice artists, and they use this time to 0:52:12.320,0:52:18.300 retreat and prepare for the next potential crisis, which in her perspective is the 2020 0:52:18.300,0:52:24.850 election. Then the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis happened. So this short takes 0:52:24.850,0:52:30.670 a look at how she has been using craft thinking to produce two bodies of work, voting kits 0:52:30.670,0:52:35.900 for the disenfranchised, a toolkit for artists, activists, educators, students, and others 0:52:35.900,0:52:42.040 to produce imaginative voting stations that will bring attention to voting barriers or 0:52:42.040,0:52:48.160 restrictions in the U.S., as well as to revisit the Protest Banner Lending Library, which 0:52:48.160,0:52:50.230 I really love. So we're going to watch that now. 0:52:50.230,0:52:57.110 [NOT] IN ISOLATION FILM: ARAM HAN SIFUETES >> I am Aram Han Sifuentes. I am a fiber social 0:52:57.110,0:53:07.570 practice artist. My pronouns are she/her/hers. For the last two years, I have been working 0:53:07.570,0:53:12.888 on a project called the “Official/Unofficial Voting Stations,” voting for all who legally 0:53:12.888,0:53:13.888 can't. The first consideration of the project happened in 2016, where I collaborated with 0:53:13.888,0:53:19.060 more than 15 artists and created more than 25 different voting stations. These imaginative 0:53:19.060,0:53:23.510 voting stations took place in cities all over the U.S. and in Mexico. I was really excited 0:53:23.510,0:53:28.280 to create these kits that would just go out into the world, and spark these imaginative 0:53:28.280,0:53:38.000 voting stations all over, but with COVID happening, it seems like, you know, large gatherings 0:53:38.000,0:53:44.330 will be difficult to have in the fall. It's hard to do social practice when you have to 0:53:44.330,0:53:51.120 maintain social distancing, right? So I really spent this time to rethink the project, and 0:53:51.120,0:54:01.000 I have recently started a new collaboration with new media artist John Satrum, and we've 0:54:01.000,0:54:06.790 been reimagining and thinking of what a digital voting platform can look like, right? And 0:54:06.790,0:54:14.420 so we have been working on that. I'm excited for that. We’re working on creating a part 0:54:14.420,0:54:21.220 of this digital platform to have these objects, but make them downloadable. I've been working 0:54:21.220,0:54:27.730 with artist William Estrada, an amazing artist and arts educator, and we've been working 0:54:27.730,0:54:35.590 together to create a curriculum for youth with art and lessons around -- to talk about 0:54:35.590,0:54:41.490 voting. The focus of what I was working on in this video shifted. I've always been making 0:54:41.490,0:54:47.400 work about social and racial justice. In 2016 I started a project called the Protest Banner 0:54:47.400,0:54:53.930 Lending Library. I teach people how to make their own protest banners. I have a library 0:54:53.930,0:54:59.100 of them. They're in different cities all over the U.S., but the main library is in Chicago. 0:54:59.100,0:55:05.310 I have more than 400 banners currently in the library. So with protest erupting, people 0:55:05.310,0:55:12.800 have been reaching out non stop duringthis pandemic and during these protests. I think 0:55:12.800,0:55:20.360 that particularly with fiber and with textiles, you know, it's been so important to make PPE 0:55:20.360,0:55:27.270 masks, because of such a shortage, to make these at home. I was making them too, with 0:55:27.270,0:55:36.560 remnants I have laying around from protest banners. It was so necessary for us to be 0:55:36.560,0:55:44.070 making these masks and distributing them. As an immigrant, as a woman of color, you 0:55:44.070,0:55:50.900 know, as somebody who is dedicated to working with disenfranchised, non-citizen immigrants 0:55:50.900,0:56:00.640 of color, you know, under the Trump administration, it has been terrible, right? It is so clear 0:56:00.640,0:56:10.830 that our lives are not valued. I used this statement time and time again in my practice, 0:56:10.830,0:56:18.210 "A system cannot protect those it was never designed to protect." and I believe that to 0:56:18.210,0:56:29.000 my core. Right? However, I'm energized, I'm excited about this moment because we're having this conversation. 0:56:36.500,0:56:42.200 >> HRAG: So we're going to try to jump right in since we're getting close to the end of 0:56:42.200,0:56:49.270 the program, and the time, of course, is limited. So I'm going to invite Andrés Payon Estrada, 0:56:49.270,0:56:54.680 a visual artist and curator of public engagement at Craft Contemporary to talk a little about 0:56:54.680,0:56:56.750 their work curating. Andrés... 0:56:56.750,0:57:03.520 >> ANDRÉS: Hey, can you hear me? See me? 0:57:03.520,0:57:06.910 >> JASON: Yes, we can. 0:57:06.910,0:57:13.790 >> ANDRÉS: Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me, and thank you for giving 0:57:13.790,0:57:19.530 me the opportunity to talk a bit about craft and curation, and speculating a bit about 0:57:19.530,0:57:24.080 the future of the field, and particularly thinking about everything that has been happening 0:57:24.080,0:57:30.680 in our society. As Hrag mentioned, my name is Andrés Payon Estrada. I'm an artist. I 0:57:30.680,0:57:37.100 am curator of public engagement at Craft Contemporary, and I’m also a visiting faculty member at 0:57:37.100,0:57:43.310 California Institute of the Arts for the past two and a half years. And so let me go ahead 0:57:43.310,0:57:47.960 and share some slides with you. 0:57:47.960,0:57:53.480 Can you see that? 0:57:53.480,0:57:59.000 >> JASON: Yes, we can. 0:57:59.000,0:58:07.470 >> ANDRÉS: Thank you. So, yes, I was asked to talk a bit about my work and thoughts on 0:58:07.470,0:58:13.531 how to design, or redesign, curation to build a more equitable and inclusive society. This 0:58:13.531,0:58:20.120 is a really big conversation. It's also a difficult conversation, but one has to acknowledge 0:58:20.120,0:58:28.340 that it's also a conversation that has been happening. A lot of people that I see in this 0:58:28.340,0:58:33.210 Zoom have been working very hard to create these spaces for people of color to be able 0:58:33.210,0:58:40.160 to be welcome, and be able to work in institutions, and I thank you all for that. Now, to give 0:58:40.160,0:58:45.260 a little context, when I think about craft, I think a lot about my experience growing 0:58:45.260,0:58:51.320 up between the United States and Mexico. I would cross the border daily in order to go 0:58:51.320,0:58:55.240 to school, and in the process I would walk through dozens of these shops selling anything 0:58:55.240,0:59:03.520 from paintings, Mexican ceramics, cheap electrical toys, and popular cartoon figures. It was 0:59:03.520,0:59:11.790 an eclectic parade of imagery and objects. To me the foundation of how these things were 0:59:11.790,0:59:17.270 constructed revealed the very complex reality of the geographies, the histories, and the 0:59:17.270,0:59:23.410 people that make up these spaces. It sets the tone for how I think about craft in terms 0:59:23.410,0:59:31.340 of access and understandability and in relation to different narratives and different histories. 0:59:31.340,0:59:34.800 I think a lot about these experiences, and I thought about them, when I was curating 0:59:34.800,0:59:41.230 an exhibition for the Arizona State University Museum, which is still currently on view, 0:59:41.230,0:59:48.200 and also exhibited at the San Leandro Ruben Center in El Paso, Texas, “Total Collapse.” 0:59:48.200,0:59:57.700 It’s a group of artists working with clay to investigate the relationship between consumption 0:59:57.700,1:00:02.900 technology and history-making. 1:00:02.900,1:00:07.230 I want to briefly talk about two artists in the exhibition that present two topics that 1:00:07.230,1:00:13.290 need to be acknowledged and addressed today. As we all move forward to creating spaces 1:00:13.290,1:00:18.880 that not only include people of color, but also are receptive to the infrastructure that 1:00:18.880,1:00:24.410 you're bringing these people of color into, and also are actively working toward creating 1:00:24.410,1:00:31.250 spaces and environments that are non-racist, inclusionary, and that are safe for these 1:00:31.250,1:00:36.700 communities. One of the artists Gala Porras-Kim, was born 1:00:36.700,1:00:49.450 in Colombia. These objects are handmade out of clay, and a few of them have GPS trackers 1:00:49.450,1:00:55.010 attached to them as a gesture which makes it possible to track these pieces at any given 1:00:55.010,1:01:01.281 moment in time and see where they have been. I'm really interested in the practice, because 1:01:01.281,1:01:08.680 it has a deep understanding, and challenges how art institutions, collections, and exhibitions 1:01:08.680,1:01:15.020 are telling histories and also by who. So these are things for us to kind of start thinking 1:01:15.020,1:01:21.630 and considering. With these pieces, she was working with collections in the Los Angeles 1:01:21.630,1:01:27.530 County Museum of Art under the name of the Proctor Stepford Ceramics collection. What 1:01:27.530,1:01:32.580 the artist has been working on is trying to reclaim some of the history of these artifacts, 1:01:32.580,1:01:37.450 some of the knowledge of where these came from, and who made these and what communities 1:01:37.450,1:01:43.950 these objects were part of. What you see here are forms that she has recreated alongside 1:01:43.950,1:01:50.720 an email conversation where she actively has been working to change the name of the collection 1:01:50.720,1:01:57.790 so it represents the community and the histories that the collection actually holds. I think 1:01:57.790,1:02:02.500 this is a very important proposition that is being made by the artist, which is to analyze 1:02:02.500,1:02:06.820 the entire structure of an institution, and even the power dynamics that are inherent 1:02:06.820,1:02:15.100 within these institutions, because you can't really start thinking about bringing a community 1:02:15.100,1:02:20.750 and people of color into an institution that perhaps wasn't designed to feel them or make 1:02:20.750,1:02:26.810 them feel welcome, or that they don't belong. You have to acknowledge that entire infrastructure 1:02:26.810,1:02:33.800 and the role that the museum has as a cultural steward, and also moving towards embodiment 1:02:33.800,1:02:37.190 of a more inclusive space. 1:02:37.190,1:02:46.100 The other artist that I would like to talk about is Khalil Robert Irving, born in San 1:02:46.100,1:02:54.770 Diego, California, and works in St. Louis, Missouri. His work, as you can see right here, 1:02:54.770,1:03:01.870 a conglomeration of different ceramic objects, clays, glazes, and decals. Very much representing 1:03:01.870,1:03:08.170 a pile of trash, or trace perhaps, of a riot, or trash accumulating in neighborhoods and 1:03:08.170,1:03:13.990 cities that don't serve their communities of color. There’s also acknowledgment of 1:03:13.990,1:03:22.700 the history of objects in these, and how the porcelain sculpture often became a signifier 1:03:22.700,1:03:31.520 of wealth within the decorative arts movement. One thing that I'm really interested in is 1:03:31.520,1:03:38.110 it also challenges the dominant discourse around white centric focus and craft histories, 1:03:38.110,1:03:43.800 and it sort of tries to break from that and build something new while using it in order 1:03:43.800,1:03:48.870 to represent the struggle and the life of the black community. In the decals you see 1:03:48.870,1:03:56.820 anywhere from decorative motifs to fried chicken as a surface, to headlines of black bodies 1:03:56.820,1:04:04.020 being murdered around the United States. We have to be critical of the dominant histories, 1:04:04.020,1:04:11.790 and acknowledge sometimes that these dominant histories and dominant discourses that some 1:04:11.790,1:04:21.210 institutions form and guide oftentimes might not be acknowledging people of color. People 1:04:21.210,1:04:26.650 of color might not see themselves represented in these narratives. Maybe their narratives 1:04:26.650,1:04:32.870 have deeper histories and craft than the ones we often acknowledged. To a person of color, 1:04:32.870,1:04:37.070 perhaps the arts and crafts movement is a reminder that the dominant academic discourse 1:04:37.070,1:04:42.920 has been created by white males, or the American craft studio movement can be a reminder of 1:04:42.920,1:04:49.050 the education inequality in the United States. As the GI bill did not serve communities of 1:04:49.050,1:04:53.300 color, because they couldn't afford to go to school, they were turned away at universities, 1:04:53.300,1:05:01.550 or they ended up in colleges that were underfunded and over capacity. I'm hoping some of these 1:05:01.550,1:05:07.670 topics, and some of these -- some of this conversation gives people things to think 1:05:07.670,1:05:14.040 about. To question ourselves in how we're creating opportunities not only to diversify... 1:05:14.040,1:05:18.980 because diversifying is really a corporate strategy, but how are we creating equitable 1:05:18.980,1:05:25.980 and safe spaces to hire curators of color, and create spaces that amplify, and not use, 1:05:25.980,1:05:32.180 the voices of people of color. Also spaces that are openly analyzing the work that they're 1:05:32.180,1:05:40.070 doing to dismantle the roadblocks that, perhaps, are gatekeeping, or creating challenges that 1:05:40.070,1:05:46.050 the institutions are placing that are not allowing you to reach communities of color. 1:05:46.050,1:05:51.470 Lastly, to consider that there are incredible thinkers out there that have not been given 1:05:51.470,1:05:57.620 the opportunity. That higher formal education and extended work experience might not always 1:05:57.620,1:06:02.440 be accessible to people of color, and that sometimes the dominant discourse, and the 1:06:02.440,1:06:09.320 histories that we propel, are oftentimes not histories that include these communities. 1:06:09.320,1:06:18.040 >> HRAG: That is incredible. Thank you so much, Andrés. I'm curious, because you're 1:06:18.040,1:06:23.540 absolutely right in my experience, a lot of histories are written now, or finally being 1:06:23.540,1:06:28.560 recorded, or sometimes just elevated and they're already known within their own communities. 1:06:28.560,1:06:33.190 What are some of the histories that you're most interested in right now that are starting 1:06:33.190,1:06:36.920 to emerge into the “mainstream?” 1:06:36.920,1:06:43.610 >> ANDRES: A lot of those histories -- there's multiple main streams, too, the mainstream 1:06:43.610,1:06:49.770 sort of in the discourse of contemporary craft, and also perhaps the mainstream within a broader 1:06:49.770,1:06:58.400 art world. To me some of the things that are interesting, that are arising, are practices 1:06:58.400,1:07:03.440 and thoughts that are building on these foundations of craft, but they're also digging deeper 1:07:03.440,1:07:09.370 into deeper histories of craft, into the histories of their communities, of where they came from, 1:07:09.370,1:07:16.890 who they are, indigenous knowledge and indigenous forms of making, which I think are integral 1:07:16.890,1:07:18.990 to where we are today. 1:07:18.990,1:07:24.650 >> HRAG: Absolutely. If anyone has any questions, because we're going to be -- unfortunately, 1:07:24.650,1:07:29.680 some of the talks, videos, and things, they have been a little longer than we originally 1:07:29.680,1:07:34.990 planned for. I would like people to put their questions in as quickly as possible so I can 1:07:34.990,1:07:40.150 start organizing that to bring in other people that have questions around that. So, now, 1:07:40.150,1:07:46.420 are there any things you would recommend people working with craft makers who do work with 1:07:46.420,1:07:51.830 histories that are often not centered in museums, is there something you would recommend curators, 1:07:51.830,1:07:56.790 or other types of people that work with that material, that they consider, that they might 1:07:56.790,1:07:58.410 not be thinking of? 1:07:58.410,1:08:03.810 >> ANDRES: A good place to start would be... everybody is always continuously educating 1:08:03.810,1:08:10.190 themselves about things that are outside of the dominant thought they have. I would acknowledge 1:08:10.190,1:08:15.330 that you have to build these communities in order to work with these communities. That 1:08:15.330,1:08:20.710 in order to diversify your exhibition, or diversify your staff, it's not just a checklist. 1:08:20.710,1:08:25.410 You actually have to make the work in order to create these spaces for these voices to 1:08:25.410,1:08:26.410 be heard. 1:08:26.410,1:08:32.540 >> HRAG: Yeah, that's an excellent point. Thank you so much. Does anyone have questions 1:08:32.540,1:08:39.810 for Andes, or Diana, or Darrah? I just want to get those in, because we're almost at time 1:08:39.810,1:08:45.230 and I want to introduce the last speaker, who is Sarah Khan, an American Craft Council 1:08:45.230,1:08:54.850 board trustee shortly. But before that happens, one last question for you Andres. What are 1:08:54.850,1:08:59.600 some of the other challenges that you're facing when you're showing these [artists]? In terms 1:08:59.600,1:09:06.210 of, like, even in the way institutions choose to frame, or the way they choose to promote 1:09:06.210,1:09:12.980 events, is there a way that you would suggest sort of looking at the material in a way that 1:09:12.980,1:09:15.790 is sensitive to the makers themselves? 1:09:15.790,1:09:23.890 >> ANDRES: Hmm... I mean... I think a lot of it sort of... it requires more of a collaboration 1:09:23.890,1:09:29.250 with the maker. More of a conversation with the artist and the maker in order to acknowledge 1:09:29.250,1:09:35.420 what is the full breadth of what they're thinking about, to sort of propel and project their 1:09:35.420,1:09:40.770 conversation, because at the end of the day, the conversation that these artists are having 1:09:40.770,1:09:46.790 might be more of a direct link and connection to communities, and to people, that you would 1:09:46.790,1:09:49.650 want for your spaces to welcome. 1:09:49.650,1:09:56.710 >> HRAG: Right. So there is a general question. It's for Namita, and all the panelists, it 1:09:56.710,1:10:03.980 says, “How we as infrastructures relying -- what is the social media supports financially? 1:10:03.980,1:10:08.150 I'm sorry, I don't quite fully -- if you would like to elaborate on that, I would be happy 1:10:08.150,1:10:15.150 to ask that question. But, Namita, I don't know if Namita wants to chime in at this point, 1:10:15.150,1:10:21.040 but she's answering the questions in the chat room, just so that if anybody is interested 1:10:21.040,1:10:26.500 to chime in there. So I'm going to invite Sarah Khan -- thank you so much, Andres for 1:10:26.500,1:10:32.480 the presentation, it gave people a lot to think about, particularly in the way histories, 1:10:32.480,1:10:38.270 and different histories, are being dealt with in institutional settings. So, Sarah, you 1:10:38.270,1:10:49.520 have the floor if you would like to give the closing remarks for today. 1:10:49.520,1:10:50.520 Perhaps she's not here. 1:10:50.520,1:10:55.141 >> JASON: I'm looking for her in the chat. I think she joined and exited. I need to make 1:10:55.141,1:10:58.560 her a co-host. Please stand by. 1:10:58.560,1:11:08.180 >> HRAG: So... ah, there's another question from Carolyn about how can we get the gatekeepers, 1:11:08.180,1:11:13.520 people who are in positions of power, to see what we're saying? That's a really good question. 1:11:13.520,1:11:19.190 So maybe we'll think about that. And Sarah, the floor is yours. 1:11:19.190,1:11:24.810 >> SARAH: Can you hear me? Can you hear me? 1:11:24.810,1:11:26.580 >> JASON: Yes, we can now. 1:11:26.580,1:11:33.580 >> SARAH: Okay. Well, first, I just want to introduce myself. I'm a trustee of the American 1:11:33.580,1:11:42.920 Craft Council, a maker, and a scholar. I have not been formally trained in an art school, 1:11:42.920,1:11:49.710 and I think that's one of my strengths and one of my weaknesses. But what I want to do 1:11:49.710,1:11:56.610 is reflect more on the richness that was just offered to us today. I kind of just want to 1:11:56.610,1:12:06.600 reflect back to what I heard in the words, that ACC has created an environment and platform 1:12:06.600,1:12:16.490 so we can have these discussions. Hrag, co-founder of Hyperallergic, for your skilled way you 1:12:16.490,1:12:22.810 are managing and introducing everybody, and engaging in conversation. And then every single 1:12:22.810,1:12:34.850 person who presented, Sarah Schultz, Namita, Zahit, Diana, Carolyn Mazloomi, Aram, Andrés. There 1:12:34.850,1:12:40.920 are so many words that are washing over me. It's just a few minutes I have with you, so 1:12:40.920,1:12:45.061 there's not going to be anything more profound than reflecting back the richness that you 1:12:45.061,1:12:50.590 just provided, and the layeredness that you just provided, and by doing that, giving us 1:12:50.590,1:12:59.610 permission to also be layered, to share our full selves, and to fly. To fly freer than 1:12:59.610,1:13:12.380 the kites. To break soil. To sew, S-E-W, and to sow, S-O-W. To be cognizant of blindness, 1:13:12.380,1:13:20.340 of who is hunted and who isn't in public and private places. The “slow kill,” and the 1:13:20.340,1:13:30.040 slow violence that environmental racism -- systemic racism -- destroys so slowly that no one can 1:13:30.040,1:13:35.940 point a finger, and that's what makes it more insidious. But I think about the needles, 1:13:35.940,1:13:44.560 the threads, and the pricking, the breaking of ground to grow, the shaping and the molding 1:13:44.560,1:13:52.781 of clay to create and direct, and to look into the future and shape a different kind 1:13:52.781,1:13:58.310 of reality than the one that many of us are facing today. Many of us are traumatized by 1:13:58.310,1:14:05.070 today, by what is happening with the pandemic, by what is happening with our black and brown 1:14:05.070,1:14:09.770 brothers and sisters who are being murdered in the streets. But I will say, very emphatically, 1:14:09.770,1:14:16.980 that this is not new to the majority of the world. It's just newer to people with more 1:14:16.980,1:14:26.640 agency. Not to diminish anybody's feelings, but moving forward, what is our responsibility 1:14:26.640,1:14:34.340 to not engage in a performative type of allyship, but a real type of allyship? So how are we 1:14:34.340,1:14:43.310 going to sew? How are we going to sow? How are we going to do individually, and institutionally, 1:14:43.310,1:14:54.750 to dismantle and continually reach towards a more inclusive democracy for all? 1:14:54.750,1:14:58.710 That's all I really have to say . What is our role? What are we doing? Thank you for 1:14:58.710,1:15:02.880 your layeredness. Thank you for offering it, because when you do it, it gives me permission 1:15:02.880,1:15:06.190 to do it. So... thank you. 1:15:06.190,1:15:14.060 >> HRAG: Thank you, Sarah. Thank you, everyone, for joining us. I want to remind you the next 1:15:14.060,1:15:20.020 session is on Friday, June 26th. And the topic is "Design Solutions for an Equitable and 1:15:20.020,1:15:27.000 Sustainable Craft Economy." And I think that's an incredibly important topic. I hope everybody, 1:15:27.000,1:15:31.630 and their loved ones, are safe and healthy during this very difficult period. Thank you 1:15:31.630,1:15:35.950 so much for joining us again. And thank you to the American Craft Council, and all the 1:15:35.950,1:15:41.890 people behind the scenes, including Rachel, who has been doing an expert job of fielding 1:15:41.890,1:15:47.990 all the questions, as well as Jason, as the tech guru for the day. Thanks again!