Curator's Essay

Domestic Disturbances features the work of eight artists whose work merges functional and non-functional elements, highlighting the interplay of art and design. Traditionally the use of craft and design was associated with domesticity, functionality and decoration. These classifications have contributed to a hierarchy that historically marginalized and

devalued the art of women, minorities and non-western cultures.  Changes in cultural awareness precipitated by feminism, gender

Elisa D'Arrigo, Twisted

identity and racial diversity have shifted perceptions of aesthetic value and in turn softened divisions in the art world. The artists participating in Domestic Disurbances have come full circle, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to their practice that champions both the fine and applied arts. Building on a devalued history of marginalization, their work celebrates the personal as political. --Joanne Freeman 2017