Nicholas Galanin at the Craft In America Center [online]

Democracy 2020: Craft & The Election
PBS Craft In America [online]
September 26, 2020 - January 2, 2021

Craft in America Center is pleased to present a dynamic virtual exhibition of works made by 21 artists from across the U.S. to address key issues underlying the 2020 election and the American political landscape. 

The dynamic objects in this virtual exhibition address key issues underlying the 2020 election and the American political landscape. Employing glass, fiber, ceramics, metal, wood and various other craft-based materials of everyday life, these 21 artists from across the U.S. use their media to voice concerns, point out injustice and inequity, and potentially instill hope for a better future. This exhibition evolved as a response to the social dilemmas and crisis that surged over the past year. Art can mirror what takes place in a society and it is often prophetic. Through the objects gathered for Democracy 2020, conversations are initiated, awareness can be raised, and perhaps, change can be forged.

Craft is inherently democratic and it is part of our national heritage. The objects in Democracy 2020 touch on the spectrum of topics that shape the fiber of our nation and our societal conflicts. These gathered works address environmental policy, exploitation, the military, gun violence, immigration, corruption, the need for economic regulation and much more. Essential to this year’s election are the issues of climate change, systemic racism, and social discord. By creating objects that convey and confront all of these urgent problems, artists raise awareness and initiate a dialogue through the language of art.

The participating 21 artists were invited to explain, in their own words, what their objects mean to them, their impetus, and what they hope viewers will take away and keep in mind as we face voting in the next election. These statements are shared in the gallery below.

Democracy 2020 exists as a digital exhibition and additionally, select works are displayed in the Craft in America Center’s public windows onto West Third Street in Los Angeles. These objects will be safely viewable from outside the space at all hours, day or night

Craft is uniquely positioned because of its accessibility as a political tool. Through material, process, and subject, the artists represented in this exhibition engage in critical discussion about the state of our republic. These artists give shape and form to issues that we are all facing in the tenuous survival of our society.

For programming related to this exhibition see the links to the right, or click here for all upcoming events.
For inquiries or more information, contact info@craftinamerica.org