Feminist Fashion: Craft Jam By Lauren Esqueda

In her 2010 TED talk, titled “Lessons from fashion’s free culture”, Johanna Blakely describes how the fashion industry’s lack of copyright and patent protection has allowed it to thrive in the economic market. This is mainly because designers have been able to recycle the same building blocks of fashion to create innovate, utilitarian designs into what we regard as art to adorn ourselves. In this talk, she urges other creative industries to adopt this concept.

Throughout my early teen years, I was exposed to different mediums of art and discovered that I could express myself through more channels than just paper. Although Barry found comfort in her 11 x 17 newsprint and some paint, I was able to focus my energy on making music and taking photographs. Without my art teachers, I wouldn’t have the expressive outlet I do today. My childhood was not filled with unhappiness as Lynda Barry’s was, but from both backgrounds, we found a warmth from the exposure of art that the educational system gave to us.

Yoko Ono is one the most influential performance, multi media and avante guarde artist of the 20th century who`s work has been over shadowed by her personnel life. Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1933 Ono attended the prestigious Gakushuin Unversity, while here her family moved to America to escape the war.Art appealed to Yoko `shortly after turning twenty years old, Yoko Ono discovered art out of necessity. “Art is a means of survival,”`1 she discovered this living through WWII where Yoko and her siblings would imagine all the foods they could not possess,this gave them hope in the bleakness and became the purpose of much of her art. It was also the inspiration for her earliest performance piece Lighting Piece (1955).

As an individual who’s been drawing and painting since before she could even hold a pen – apparently, I used to spill my grandma’s tea and make shapes with it – art has always been my favorite pastime. It’s tranquil and relaxing, and mixing paints is the most satisfying experience. Thus, it’s no wonder that the activity that I’m most invested in is art.

Feminist artist Betye Saar was born on July 30, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. Her father died when she was five years old; after that her family moved to Pasadena, California. To make a living for the family, Saar’s mother became a seamstress and also recycled and reused a lot of daily scraps that weren’t used to make things that her children needed. The remaking and looking over everyday house things influences some of Betye Saar’s later work. Betye Saar’s art career began in 1945 where she went to The University of California Los Angeles and majored in design. She received a bachelor’s in design in 1949 but worked as a social worker and continued design on the side. She back to college, California State University at Long Beach, in 1958 to get a degree in education in which she was very successful in receiving. In Long Beach, Saar was introduced to and got very acquainted with printmaking. This was the start of her artistic career and soon she began to do artwork that incorporated various themes such as

The wayback-background begins with two very understanding and supportive non-artsy parents that stocked their house full of every pencil, marker, and paint set imaginable. Jessica grew up knowing she wanted to do something art related for a living but had no idea what graphic design was until Sophomore year of college. She took an intro course and was hooked. Design was satisfying in a completely different way than fine art—everything was like a puzzle you had to solve. As a nineteen-year-old from Nowheresville, Pennsylvania who lived a relatively charmed existence, she didn’t feel like she had much to “express” yet. Being able to think and execute artwork on the behalf of others—to address their needs rather than her own—was a giant “Eureka!” moment.

Alyssa communicated her passion in life to work with in an art café. On discussing the art, she wished to hold in the café, she mentioned painting and sculptures. Therefore, Alyssa may benefit from engaging in some art/craft

Art helped me learn to express the feelings I couldn’t say and during that time period and I choosing to study it is the greatest decision I have ever made. Art is the reason I live now. It gives me hope, happiness, and an ability to escape. I love how it can change my view and to make me feel things. This year one of my illustrations was hung in the Museum of Contemporary Art: La Jolla, and I could not be prouder.

Judith Francisca Baca was born on September 20, 1946 in Los Angeles, California to Valentino Marcel and Ortensia Baca. Her father, Valentino, was not in the picture, so she was raised by her mother, grandmother, and two aunts. Coming from a Spanish speaking family, Baca struggled in school, but maybe her struggling was a good thing. Due to her problems with speaking, Baca’s teacher made her sit at her desk and paint, which sparked her interest in art. She attended California State University at Northridge to obtain her bachelor’s degree. Then she went back to her high school, Bishop Alemany High School, to teach. That is where she got together “ethnically diverse” students and painted a mural. Her teaching job did not last long. Her next job was in Los Angeles in a traveling program for artists to teach at different schools. But one even that sparked her art life was exploring the Mexican muralist tradition. She was inspired by different books she read about them and traveled to Mexico to take classes in mural techniques and materials. When she returned to Los Angeles, she began her Citywide Project. She supervised and

During my time as volunteer at Somerset Dade Academy, I was able to work closely with the elementary and middle school teacher. During each visit, I was able to follow Ms. Lee’s daily routine. In the morning, we had 30 minutes to plan and get her cart ready with supplies she needed for the day. Also, we would both create various model artworks to inspire her students to create something more original and imaginative. She wheeled her cart through certain elementary classes depending on her schedule. Depending on the grade level she was assign to that day, we were able to teach her students the fundamental concepts of arts and major art movements, all in 30 minutes. Every three weeks, she would focus on a concept, artist, or art movement. Additionally, she would assign vocabulary words, which her students would copy and also had access to them online on Quizlet. At the end, she would administer a summative test on everything they learned for the past three weeks. On the other hand, Ms. Lee’s middle school classes were different, more one-on-one, and it was a one-hour period. Her students were able to recreate impressionist and expressionist artworks, such as Monet’s Water Lilies, Van Gogh Starry Night and The Bedroom on wall-sized canvases.

Anai Harley is a Florida native and a 2015 graduate from Bennett College. Anai attained her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Management. Though Ms. Harley majored in Business, she’s always been a lover of all things artistic. In high school she always took painting, fashion, and pottery classes. Fall semester of her junior year in college, she really discovered her true gift as an artist when she enrolled in a Painting and Printmaking class while studying abroad in Cyprus. In that Painting & Printmaking class her final project required her to make wall displaying with a variety on paintings. Following graduation Anai aspires to eventually open her own Art Gallery and continue to share her art

I chose to do my research on a local ceramics artist named Heather Dahl. After interviewing Heather, I have learned a lot about her past and in addition, I believe that I've learned some helpful knowledge for myself going into the future. Heather Dahl grew up in Winnipeg and moved to Yarrow when she was 14 years old. Later on in life she moved to Vancouver and now has a studio here which was funded in 2007 called dahlhaus art. Heather believes that the environment she grew up in had an impact on herself as an artist, but personal experience, aesthetic and many more aspects also play a role in her story as well. She knew that she wanted to have a career in the arts by grade 9, but in the beginning she had always thought that she would become

I have always loved art so much. When I was younger I remember I always drew with my mother on our brown, wooden table surrounded by velvet green couches on our white carpet. It's not the same now that mama and my dad are divorced, but now my mama’s in jail for drunk driving and she was a heavy smoker.. I miss her to the moon and back . It's now January and she’s been in jail for three months now, only twenty-one months more to go.

Art is a form of expression that can break barriers all over the world. Art can break racial, educational and even language barriers. In addition, art can take many forms, like sculptures, paintings, and even collages and they are all a form of self-expression. Artists create pieces of art to communicate their happiness and even their fears and darkest secrets, without having to vocalize their feelings. Art transcends time, and it’s so powerful that sometimes it can leave people speechless. Art is not about how pretty or flawless it can be, it’s about what it can make the spectators feel. Whether it’s a video or even a magazine collage, as long as the piece incites emotion it is art. The art piece, What Is and What Could Be created by Aida

Thus, the importance of providing alternative non-verbal methods to communicate is critical (Stewart, 2004). Eleonora’s plan is targeted to bring attention and awareness to herself and feelings of agitation and irritation. By providing the therapeutic goal of finding pleasure in artmaking to reduce these feelings of frustration and isolation, she can begin to feel empowered by her enjoyment. Not only will art-making build and exercise her dexterity it will empower her as an individual who is capable of creating again. Art therapy allows people the opportunity to grow and evolve (Charron, 2001). These creations will be able to serve as a reminder and a comfort that will bring her pleasure. Additionally, these works of art can be given to her children to assure her legacy will never be forgotten and she can be eternally in