How do we make change in our world? What tools can we use to make a difference? How can one person raise awareness of social injustice or motivate action that makes the world a better place? These are the questions that guide artists, designers, and crafters across the nation; they create answers with their hands. They harness the power of creativity to address contemporary issues, and they make things in order to make a difference.

MODA’s 2018 exhibition Making Change: The Art and Craft of Activism explored this concept and focused on the power of Craftivism: a worldwide movement operating at the intersection of craft and activism. Across the globe, artists and crafters armed with traditional materials like yarn, glue guns, quilt patterns, sewing needles, X-ACTO knives, and other tools are using their hands to protest social and political inequalities and injustices.

The time spent on these works shows the dedication to creating pieces that evoke emotion and promote discussion. By sharing ideas expressed through the work of their hands, these artists and crafters aim to make you think, explore and take note.