Tag: art as activism in handmade goods

Spoiler: It’s About More Than Beautiful Wood and the Perfect Cup

Welcome. Whether you’re here because you saw a cutting board that made your heart skip a beat, or you’re simply curious about what drives us beyond our healthy obsession with wood grain and good coffee, we’re glad you stopped by.

At Sarkanys Rising, we believe your kitchen tools should be keepsakes—pieces that carry stories, spark conversations, and become part of life’s everyday magic. But behind every hand-carved spoon and resin-touched bowl lives something deeper: a philosophy rooted in how art shapes community, how values translate into tangible beauty, and how the things we create with our hands can change the world, one kitchen drawer at a time.

Art as Mirror, Bridge, and Catalyst

Recent research confirms what we’ve always felt in our workshop: art serves as a mirror to societal values, challenges norms, and inspires change, bridging the gap between different cultures and time periods while offering a universal language that transcends words. When Rex shapes a piece of tiny scrap resin or wood into a cabochon or when I blend resin with salvaged walnut, we’re not just making functional objects—we’re participating in this ancient human tradition of creating meaning through material.

The academic community has long recognized that art illuminates culture and history, facilitates understanding between societies with different values, and encourages participation in social movements. In our small way, every piece that leaves our workshop carries these possibilities. That cutting board isn’t just for slicing vegetables—it’s a conversation starter, a bridge between the person who gives it and the one who receives it.

Kindred Spirits in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland commemorates the connection to the Choctaw people that dates back the the Irish potato famine.

Values Made Tangible

Truth Over Trends

We don’t sell anything we wouldn’t proudly use ourselves or gift to someone we love. This isn’t just good business practice—it’s recognition that authentic craftsmanship carries cultural weight. As scholars have noted, art has a long history of reflecting and influencing cultural values, either endorsing tradition or breaking new ground with a desire for social progress. Our commitment to transparency and quality becomes part of a larger cultural conversation about what we value and why.

Imperfection as Character

Those swirls in our resin work? The unique grain patterns in reclaimed wood? They’re not flaws—they’re features that celebrate the human touch in an increasingly automated world. Art aims to unite people as fellow human beings regardless of their linguistic, political, socioeconomic, or cultural backgrounds, and our deliberately imperfect, lovingly crafted pieces embody this unifying principle.

Sustainability as Responsibility

When we source reclaimed materials, we’re participating in what community development experts recognize as arts and cultural strategies that have the potential to deepen community engagement and strengthen the social fabric of communities. Every piece of salvaged wood or scrap becomes a small act of environmental stewardship, a tangible expression of our belief that second chances apply to materials as much as they do to people.

The Ripple Effect of Handmade

Research demonstrates that cultures big and small unite through the arts to build better communities, with arts providing an opportunity to gather with other people from all walks of life. We see this principle in action every time a customer shares photos of their charcuterie board bringing friends together, or when someone tells us about the tears of joy sparked by a thoughtfully chosen gift.

Our work operates on multiple levels simultaneously. On the surface, we’re creating beautiful, functional objects. But we’re also:

• Preserving traditional craftsmanship in an age of mass production
• Building community connections through shared appreciation for handmade beauty
• Promoting sustainable practices through material reclamation and conscious consumption
• Supporting economic opportunities within the veteran-owned business community

Legacy Through Daily Beauty

We believe that art enhances our environment, making spaces more vibrant and meaningful. This principle guides everything we create. Beauty shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions or locked away in display cases—it belongs in daily life, in the tools we reach for every morning, in the pieces that become part of our routine rituals.

When we craft a piece designed to outlive us, we’re participating in what researchers call the transformative power of art. Art can (and should) spark debate, highlight societal issues, and affect people’s thoughts and actions, influencing how we view everything from fashion to politics to environmental responsibility.

Community Over Competition

The academic literature consistently emphasizes art’s role in building social cohesion. We’ve experienced this firsthand through our relationships with fellow makers, loyal customers, and newcomers discovering handmade artistry. We don’t guard secrets or view other craftspeople as threats—we believe in lifting each other up because creativity, like kindness, multiplies when shared.

This collaborative approach reflects broader research findings about arts investment and cultivation as a key driver of community health, revitalization, and inclusion. Our workshop may be small (in Rex’s mind), but our impact ripples outward through every piece we create and every relationship we build.

The Personal is Political (and Beautiful)

Every choice we make—from sourcing materials to pricing pieces fairly—reflects our values. We’re not just selling functional art; we’re advocating for a world where beauty and utility coexist, where traditional skills are valued, where sustainability matters, and where human connection takes precedence over profit margins.

This aligns with scholarly observations that when art is used as a form of activism it can help drive change in deeply significant ways. Our activism might be quieter than protest art, but it’s no less intentional. Every reclaimed board we save from the landfill, every local customer we serve, every traditional technique we preserve—these are political acts disguised as daily business.

What This Means for You

When you choose a piece from our workshop, you’re not just buying a kitchen tool or decorative object. You’re participating in a value system that prioritizes authenticity over convenience, beauty over mere functionality, and human connection over corporate efficiency.

You’re supporting the idea that everyday objects can carry meaning, that functional items deserve to be beautiful, and that the stories behind our possessions matter as much as their practical applications.

Coffee, Craftsmanship, and Everything Beyond

Yes, we believe in the power of a good cup of coffee to fuel creativity and the importance of skilled craftsmanship to create lasting beauty. But we also believe in the academic research that shows art serves as a universal language that transcends words, in the community-building power of shared aesthetic experiences, and in the responsibility we all have to create more beauty in the world.

Whether you’re a longtime collector or a curious newcomer, whether you’re drawn to our work for its sustainability, its beauty, or its functionality, you’re part of a larger conversation about what we value and why. You’re helping us prove that in a world of mass production and throwaway culture, there’s still a place for pieces made with intention, crafted with care, and built to last generations.

Thanks for being here, for believing in what we believe, and for helping us turn everyday objects into opportunities for beauty, connection, and meaning.

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Want to see how these values translate into tangible beauty? Browse our newest pieces at sarkanysrising.com. Got a story about your own Sarkanys Rising piece? Drop us a line—we love hearing how our work becomes part of your daily life.

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References

Nancy Reyner. “Art in Society: The Impact and Influence of Art in Culture and Community.” Nancy Reyner Art Blog, August 15, 2024. https://nancyreyner.com/2024/08/15/art-in-society-the-impact-and-influence-of-art-in-culture-and-community/

“The Power of Art: Does Art Really Change the World We Live In?” Art Business News, February 22, 2023. https://artbusinessnews.com/2023/02/the-power-of-art-does-art-really-change-the-world-we-live-in/

“The Effects of Art and Culture on Modern Society.” Creative Flair Blog, January 2, 2024. https://blog.creativeflair.org/the-effects-of-art-and-culture-on-modern-society/

“The Importance of Art in Society for 2024.” The Studio Director, November 10, 2023. https://www.thestudiodirector.com/blog/importance-of-art-in-society/

“How Art Shapes Culture and Reflects Human Experience.” Humanities 101. https://pressbooks.howardcc.edu/humanities101/chapter/how-art-shapes-culture-and-reflects-human-experience/

“Transforming Community Development through Arts and Culture.” National Endowment for the Arts, 2020. https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2020/transforming-community-development-through-arts-and-culture

“The Power of Arts and Culture: The Heart of Community Health, Revitalization, and Inclusion.” Local Initiatives Support Corporation. https://www.lisc.org/our-resources/resource/power-arts-and-culture-heart-community-health-revitalization-and-inclusion/

“The Influence of Art and Culture on Society.” Free Essay Example for Students, July 2, 2024. https://aithor.com/essay-examples/the-influence-of-art-and-culture-on-society