DVAA Celebrates CraftMONTH
The term ‘craft’ implies art making that takes skill and experience; it is defined as the production of objects that have utility. Anyone who has participated in a form of crafting- whether it was a beginner’s ceramics course, a youtube sewing tutorial, or maybe a knitting lesson from a loved one- knows the satisfaction of creating something useful and beautiful with your hands.
Integral to craft is the legacy it carries, wherein the objects we make not only aid us in everyday tasks, but create links to the people we love. the CraftNOW website reads: “We believe craft is an important form of expression, which brings wholeness in people’s lives and enriches communities. Craft can be a convener in a divisive age. People from all walks of life, all ethnicities, all age groups, all neighborhoods and all political viewpoints can and do participate in making things.” and DVAA couldn’t agree more.
Each November, CraftNOW activates the city of Philadelphia by uplifting the voices within craft communities. As a organization that showcases the work of multiple craft artists, we were thrilled to participate. Leading up to November, we hosted two mosaic workshops, one led by DVAA member and ceramicist Sammy Kovnat, and one led by ceramicist and artists of I Look at the World, Isaac Scott. In both workshops, participants created 4x4in handmade mosaic tiles that will be on view in Palumbo Park for the month of November as part of CraftMONTH.
Visit Palumbo Park this November, 2022 to see the final Product of our community art project.
CraftMONTH Exhibition
Concepts & Compositions, an exhibition by Sharon Bloomfield Hicks
On-View: October 19th - November 9th
Sharon Bloomfield Hicks is a Philadelphia based artist, aesthetically influenced by her Jamaican heritage. Her paintings and tapestries are distinguished by exotic color combinations, large shapes and active figure-ground relationships. Her paintings and tapestries are distinguished by exotic color combinations, large shapes and active figure-ground relationships. Synthesizing craft materials with painterly intentions she creates fresh, uplifting work which reflects the harmony and well-being she desires to see in the world.
Craft artist, Sharon Bloomfield Hicks, explores tufting and painting her her exhibition Concepts and Compositions.
“For this project I alternated between painting and tufting, hand-stitching and machine, bouncing back and forth between opposites of slow and fast, intuitive and planned processes. Working with shapes similar to those in the Yin/Yang symbol, exploring their relationships with each other, color and texture; my process has led me from painting to tapestry to two-sided and three-dimensional mixed-media.”
CraftMONTH Events
Collaged and Crafted Paper Quilt WOrkshop
Learn how to dye paper using plants, then transform your creations by collaging and weaving them into one of a kind paper quilts! Our artist member, Sammy Kovnat, will be teaching participants how to make paper called quilts, with Cassidy Cabrea, who will be teaching participants how to use natural dyes.