Civic Crafts & Societal Sloyd
In the vision of pedagogical woodworking of the late 19th century, known as "sloyd," Otto Salomon saw craft education as a civic as much as an educational activity. How can we work today with craft as a civic activity and use woodworking to discuss, prototype, and enrich our shared environment? Following craftsman and thinker William Coperthwaite, we will experiment with how to use crafts to shape togetherness and make democratic ideals tangible with "socially valid crafts."
Visiting Artists augment the summer sessions and do not lead studio workshops.
Otto von Busch (he/him) is a crafter and artist who is also a Professor of Integrated Design at Parsons School of Design. He has a background in arts, craft, design, and theory, and many of his projects and publications explore how making practices, especially fashion, can mobilize community capabilities through collaborative craft and social activism. Von Busch’s latest books include Making Trouble: Design and Material Activism (Bloomsbury 2022).