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Free Workshop Series 'Craft/Work' Launches in Logan Square

By Erica Demarest | February 4, 2014 8:45am
 Craft/Work has launched a free six-part workshop series. A gallery show will open in April.
Craft/Work Workshops
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LOGAN SQUARE — As they gear up for an exhibit that will showcase local artists and crafters, the women behind Logan Square's "Craft/Work" have launched a free lecture and workshop series.

Each three-hour event starts with a talk from a local artist and concludes with a hands-on class.

"Our goal is that for each workshop, people will be able to go home either with the tools they need to keep doing [the technique they've learned] or with something that they've made," said co-creator Rachel Wallis, 32.

Workshop participants can try Native American bead weaving, fabric dyeing and embroidery, Wallis said, while discussion topics range from race and gender to technology and finance in the art world.

The six-part series — which runs now through April 8 — is part of "Craft/Work," a project that aims to bridge the divide between "artists" and "crafters."

"The world of art has been such a boys club and such a concept club for so long that I think people don’t readily associate themselves with that," said co-creator Nora Renick-Rinehart, 28, during a September interview.

Many still associate traditional crafting techniques with women and minorities, Renick-Rinehart said.

“There’s no right answer to why or what or how to distinguish between art and craft," she added. "We’re just trying to open the doors a little bit."

The "Craft/Work" gallery show, which includes submissions from artisans across Chicago, launches on April 12.

The workshop series runs every other Tuesday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Beauty and Brawn, 3501 W. Fullerton Ave. Dates include: Feb. 4, Feb. 18, March 4, March 18, April 8.

To participate, RSVP on Facebook.