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Promoting Peace Through Art

Material Culture Presents: The Afghan Peace Rug Project For the past 30 years, Afghan war rugs have been highly valued and internationally collected as pieces of modern folk art. These rugs, woven by Afghan village artisans since 1979 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, depict images of the wars and conflict that have been a trademark of this country for the past three decades. In an effort to both revitalize the Afghan economy and reshape its image from one of war to one of peace, Material Culture has partnered with a group of village rug producers in Afghanistan to launch the Peace Rug Project. Working with the same village artisans who have been weaving images of tanks, guns and hand grenades for years, the Peace Rug Project has challenged these artisans to leave behind this imagery and weave instead images of peace. Small, folk-art sized wool carpets using natural dyes and depicting images of flowers, birds, animals, village life, and all manner of personal expression, have begun to emerge from Afghan villages and Material Culture is proud to bring them to the international market. This series of unique, one of a kind rugs, each depicting the weaver's vision of the peaceful [...]

2020-01-07T13:16:05-05:00December 10th, 2014|Store News|
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The Peacebomb Collection at Material Culture

The Peacebomb collection by ARTICLE 22, a jewelry line designed from weapons of mass destruction, is now on sale at Material Culture and will be featured in our "Give Peace" for the Holidays event on December 14th ARTICLE 22 has been recognized by global consumers and press as pioneering the transformation of weapons to jewelry and, more generally, the tangible value of transformation through fashion. Driven dually by design and development, ARTICLE 22 cultivates the untapped talents of artisans in forgotten or off-the-beaten-track places, promoting entrepreneurship and community development. ARTICLE 22 designs beautiful and meaningful collections that tell unknown stories and give back. PEACEBOMB, the first collection, is jewelry made from Vietnam War era bombs by Laotian artisans. ARTICLE 22 seeks to embody a new luxury that intimately relates our objects and ideas. As appropriate, additional giveback benefits a broader cause. For PEACEBOMB, each bracelet sold demines 3m2 of bomb littered land. The collections are composed of modern artifacts with a distinct hand feel. They are designed for those concerned by authenticity and quality, those curious to discover. Article 22 “I Love Peace” bangles are currently featured in the “My Favorite Things”  holiday gift promotion giveaway to 10 lucky winners, sponsored by the Philadelphia Daily News (click for details) [...]

2020-01-07T13:17:50-05:00December 3rd, 2014|Store News|
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Exhibition: Currency and Costume in Pre-Colonial Africa, November 22, 2014 – February 28, 2015

Exhibition, November 22nd-February 28th, 2015 Selections from the Isabella de la Houssaye and David Crane Collection The population of Africa is one of the most diverse in the world with more than 3000 distinct ethnic groups and over 2100 spoken languages. Prior to colonization, each of these ethnic groups had distinct customs and artistic traditions that were reflected in both their costume and currency. Although these ethnic groups are now organized into "countries" and many have adopted western dress and traditions, to truly understand the political and cultural history of Africa you have to have some understanding of the different ethnic groups that populate these countries. This exhibition attempts to illustrate visually through items of traditional costume and currency the differences and similarities among many of these African ethnic groups. It examines how artistic and cultural traditions informed the costume and currency of the different tribes while also exploring what the costume and currency communicated about the people who wore/used it. Prior to trade with the Europeans, traditional costume was made primarily from materials at hand—leather from animals, hand-woven textiles, textiles made from natural fibers, feathers and seeds, and objects fabricated from metals. The use of beads to make and [...]

2020-01-07T13:17:50-05:00November 16th, 2014|Store News|
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Exhibition: Artists From the Center for Creative Works

A variety of work by artists from the Center for Creative Works, including paintings, drawings, ceramics and mixed media pieces, are featured at an exhibition and sale in our mezzanine gallery. Exhibition and Sale: Now through November 2nd, 2014 Opening Reception: Saturday, October 25th, 1-3 pm About Center for Creative Works Clyde Henry "Friends" The Center for Creative Works is a progressive art and design studio in Wynnewood PA. CCW provides guidance in materials and techniques to adults with developmental disabilities. Professional artists work to encourage participants to build portfolios, exhibit and sell their work. CCW promotes their work through our website, exhibitions, and other venues. A participant can find self-expression here using mediums ranging from painting and sculpture to video or music and does so in a supportive, self-directed environment free from criticism and pressure. These participant artists show their work throughout the region and have participated in Outsider Art Fairs in New York and St Louis as well. Design work of CCW artists is used in in-house generated creative products such as cards, textiles, ceramics and wood working. CCW strives to offer our artists opportunities to define themselves through their artistic expression and contribute to the greater community by sharing their unique human experience though visual expression. Artists' [...]

2020-01-07T13:17:49-05:00October 21st, 2014|Store News|
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Nicholas Toth, The Last Helmet Maker, July 19, 2pm

Material Culture Proudly Presents: Nicholas Toth, The Last Helmet Maker Award Winning Artist and National Heritage Fellow, Nicholas Toth, Presents a Gallery Talk and Exhibition Gallery Talk, Saturday, July 19, 2pm Exhibition, July 16-19 Free, Open to the Public Exhibited Items Available for Purchase As the guest artist and Master Helmet Maker, Nicholas Toth will be showcasing his copper and brass art work and his masterfully designed copper and brass diving helmets. As a highly skilled metal artist and craftsman, Nicholas has been featured both nationally and internationally, with his work included in permanent museum exhibits and national archives. Nicholas is a National Heritage Fellow, receiving this prestigious award in 2003 from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2006 he was recognized by the Historical Diving Society US Chapter for his significant contributions, receiving the ER Cross Award. In 2008 he was awarded the Florida Folk Heritage Award, presented by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and in 2012 Nicholas was once again honored by the State of Florida, receiving his second Florida Individual Artist Fellowship. With over 30 years of experience and a lifelong exposure and immersion in the culture and mysteries of the historic gulf [...]

2020-01-07T13:17:47-05:00July 10th, 2014|Store News|
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Jonathan Demme Pre-Auction Exhibition Party! Friday, March 28, 7-11PM

Join Jonathan Demme with friends in person at Material Culture for a special pre-auction exhibition party on Friday, March 28, from 7-11 p.m., with live music and refreshments. Admission to the party and the weeklong exhibition are free and open to the public. The Friday night party starts off a weekend of auctions dedicated solely to the superb self-taught art collection of Jonathan Demme.

2020-01-07T13:16:07-05:00March 8th, 2014|Store News|
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Parting Notes: “Decoding The Veil” Exhibition at Material Culture

Isabella de la Houssaye, Curator of the "Decoding The Veil" exhibition at Material Culture Area women talk about the garment's meaning; Philly exhibit explores the history of why and how women wear them From The News Journal, Wilmington, DE By Margie Fishman Dec 1, 2013 Wajeeha Choudhary began covering her hair at age 15. Adolescence was a tumultuous time, she remembers. Her hijab, or headscarf, protected her from the male gaze to some degree, while allowing her intellect and personality to shine through. "I saw it as a point of stability in my life," says Choudhary, a Muslim. "I started donning it and I had a better sense of myself and my identity." Now a doctoral student at Drexel University who lives in Media, Pa, she studies how veiled Muslim women negotiate the workplace. While critics argue that the tradition of hiding a woman's physical beauty is draconian or oppressive, Choudhary believes society's obsession with appearance is the real injustice. "Think about how much pressure there is in our society for women to be portrayed as beautiful," she says. "It just gets tiring – to constantly be on the watch of how you look every minute of the [...]

2020-01-07T13:16:05-05:00February 20th, 2014|Store News|
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