Special issue of journal explores ‘craftivism’

University of Colorado Denver’s Maria Buszek, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Media, co-edited a special issue of Utopian Studies with University of Western Ontario colleague Kirsty Robertson. “Craftivism” (Issue 22.2) takes its title from a phrase coined by artists and collectives in the wake of 9/11. The term “craftivism” relates to creative, traditional handcraft (often, assisted by high-tech means of community-building, skill-sharing and action) directed toward political and social causes.

For this special issue of Utopian Studies, Buszek said, “We have invited practitioners, scholars and curators to submit scholarship, criticism, artists statements and manifestos related to the history and myriad practices of craftivism.”

Utopian Studies is a biannual, peer-reviewed journal, published by The Penn State University Press. Utopian Studies publishes scholarly articles on a wide range of subjects related to utopias, utopianism, utopian literature, utopian theory and intentional communities. See The Society for Utopian Studies at http://www.utoronto.ca/utopia/journal. An abstract is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/5348p450737p0343/