TALK: Craft as an Act of Resistance

What is craft—and who gets to define it?

This talk explores how craft has been understood, practiced, and contested across time. Beginning with traditional definitions, we’ll examine craft not just as functional making, but as a cultural and social act—shaped by ideas of skill, identity, and value. Along the way, we’ll unpack the figure of the “craftsperson,” questioning the gendered and social assumptions embedded in the term.

From the Arts and Crafts movement through European Modernism and the Bauhaus, we’ll trace how craft has intersected with political and social change. Moving into the postmodern era, the conversation expands to include feminist and queer practices, as well as critical perspectives on race, representation, and inclusion—highlighting how making can both reflect and challenge the world around us.

The session concludes by turning to craft as a collective act. What happens when we make together? How can community-based practices create new forms of…