“Art strives to express; craft strives for excellence. Good art has good craft, good craft is artistic.
Within every craft there exists artists. Within every artist there is craft.”
— Ralph Reichenbach and Doug Madill
Over the past decade the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) movement has been steadily cultivating an expansive
group of dedicated followers. Brought together by a commitment to shared principles, this handmade
community has validated the act of individual creation not only as a socially conscious alternative to
mainstream mass production, but also as a respectable means of expressing oneself both for pleasure
and for profit. Successful businesses such as Etsy.com and Renegade Handmade have evolved
out of this movement and continue to attract new buyers and sellers who appreciate the unique quality experience of crafting.
The D.I.Y. movement is not limited to crafting exclusively, however. Burgeoning artists have benifited from building on the ideals of this community as well. Lowbrow art has seen a quiet explosion over the past 10 years, especially amongst those in their twenties and thirties. This demographic seems to gravitate towards the popular, often nostalgic themes of lowbrow art and appreciates the idea that someone "like them" created it. Again successful endeavors like Flatstock poster show and DeviantArt.com exemplify the popularity of digital art and screenprinting, two very prevelant lowbrow artforms, and reflect the significance that getting to know the artist plays within this movement.
50/50 The Blurring of Art and Craft attempts to explore the blurring of lines between artists and
crafters. By highlighting the skill and expression of creativity found in both the art and craft worlds,
we hope to encourage further support of local artists and D.I.Y. businesses and to facilitate a rethinking of the relationship between art and consumerism within our American corporate run culture.
The Organizers
Mandy McGee Mandy was born and raised in the small, rural town of Salem, OH. Growing up she spent her days fashioning Barbie dolls and choreographing dance routines with her neighborhood friends in the backyard. A bibliophile from inception, Mandy was also notorious for carrying books everywhere she went and even co-authored an illustrated chapter book with her best friend in the sixth grade. In high school she developed a passion for taking pictures and eventually merged her love of writing and photography by working on the school newspaper and yearbook. Mandy left for college with lofty dreams of one day becoming a photojournalist for National Geographic, but ended up graduating with a B.A. in English and aspirations of librarianship. After pursuing her MLIS at Kent State, Mandy landed her first professional position as Fiction and Audiovisual Librarian in the artsy community of Oak Park, IL. A move to the city to get paid to talk about books and movies with people? It seemed like a dream come true for this country mouse! Shortly after her move in 2002, Mandy discovered the emerging DIY scene in Chicago and decided she wanted to become a part of it. So she ordered some Sublime Stitching patterns, taught herself how to embroider and quickly began selling her creations at craft fairs. Mandy’s love of variety and desire to try new things led her to explore many crafts over the next several years - everything from screenprinting to jewelry making. And she simultaneously began to work her way up at the library, taking on more advanced job titles. Ultimately though she returned to the craft she knows and loves best - hand embroidery. Last year she began stitching primarily retro inspired designs using vintage materials and almost immediately began receiving continuous positive feedback from customers and the crafting community. After finding the library ladder climbing to be more tiring and less rewarding than she had hoped, Mandy recently decided to take a leave of absence from library management in July in order to pursue her crafting business full-time. She is still settling into her new working life, but is already much happier and looking forward to what the future will bring! To see what Mandy can do with a needle and thread, please visit moxiedoll.etsy.com. And although her dream of one day becoming infamous within the blogging community is currently on hiatus, you can check out the progress she’s made so far at showsomemoxie.wordpress.com. Contact: |
Megan Owdom-Weitz Megan grew up in the Buckeye state in a family that loved the slightly odd combination of sports and musicals. Not one to play with dolls, Megan was always making something or playing a game outside. She always knew she wanted to do something artistic with her life and took a number of different paths along the way. She sang on stage in musicals, and build sets behind the scenes. She took art in high school and mechanical drawing. When it came time to apply for college, graphic design seemed like a sensible choice to combine art and hopefully a paycheck, so she studied at Kent State in the visual communication design department and received a BFA in 2001. After graduation Megan moved straight to Chicago, wanting the big city feel without the east or west coast pressure. They were a perfect fit! Megan worked at Perolio, Inc., a graphic design studio in River North that then became Vertical, Inc, in Bucktown. She loved graphic design, but was not in love with the corporate atmosphere and lack of creativity. Little did she know that receiving an antique Singer sewing machine would open a door to the next phase of her life…a doorway to crafty, crazy and fabulous fun times! Well, it was the sewing machine – and screenprinting classes – that gave Megan the key to unlock the door and see how her love for graphic design, fashion and illustration could become a full-time business. Although an artist and crafter from way back, it wasn’t until 2003 that Megan started to put her creativity to the test with the old Singer and expand her design portfolio. She experimented with fabrics and textiles – creating one-of-a kind purses, sockdogs (cuddy, soft little doggies made out of colorful socks!) and gifts – and quickly made a name for herself in the Chicago independent craft scene. With success in the booming handmade/DIY market under her belt, a flair for the unique and independent spirit, Megan took a leap of faith - quit her day job - and made her crafty dream a reality in late 2008. The one-woman design company now specializes in screenprinted apparel, tote bags, greeting cards and magnets that feature cute and quirky illustrations and graphic prints. Megan’s signature “Midwest is Best” heart can be found all over Chicago and across the country. For more information, to view fun photos of Megan’s friends modeling t-shirts, scarves and dresses and to purchase gifts and goodies online visit meganleedesigns.etsy.com or meganleedesigns.com. Contact: |
Hesper Wolfe Hesper Wolfe is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Land of Cheese and Beer. As you may be wondering, her unique name means 'evening star' in Greek. No, she is not actually of greek descent. But rather, as she frequently tells it, her parents were big Madisonian hippies with a love of mythology, astrology, and literature. Through her untraditional parents and uncommon origins, Hesper thrived into an outspoken, precocious, and strangely imaginative child. As a youngster, she was continually making art and craft projects with her grandmother, Dorcas Eunice, a retired home economics teacher. Together, they crafted everything from pine cone animals with googley eyes to cross stitched patterns on kitchen towels. This familial crafting time and love of all things nostalgic had a great affect on Hesper's future career aspirations. Following in the her family's footsteps, Hesper attended and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With a degree in History and Secondary Education, Hesper became a Social Studies instructor in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. There, she taught at Grandview High School, an alternative school for at-risk students. In this accelerated educational setting, she formed a close relationship with Grandview's Art Teacher, Mary Angell, who inspired her to pursue her true passion, ART. Hesper realized that though she would always have a love for history and civics, her devotion laid in art education. Therefore, she decided to go back to school at the University of Illinois-Chicago to become an artist and teacher. After studying under inspiring instructors like Kerry James Marshal and Olivia Gude At UIC, Hesper landed a job as a high school art teacher in Berwyn, Illinois. For eight years, she taught the fundamentals of art through drawing, painting, printmaking and design to a diverse population of talented young art students. At the same time, she pursued her own outside interests as an artist and crafter. As an artist, Hesper considers herself a Pop Surrealist, creating multi- media paintings with nostalgic and pop culture references. As a participant in several Indie Craft shows throughout the Midwest for the past 5 years, she sells her handmade bags, purses, and accessories made from up-cycled vintage fabrics. At the present time, along with fellow artists/crafters, Megan Owdom-Weitz and Mandy McGee, Hesper has organized the 50/50 Pilsen Art and Craft Show a month long event that explores the blurring of the line between contemporary art and craft. Contact:
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