Question

How have women and other artists formerly excluded from galleries and museums used "crafts" to express their unique vision and gain acceptance into the world of "fine arts"?

Answer 1

Craft and art originally shared the same meaning. It was during the Renaissance that painting, sculpture and architecture got labeled into the category of art and from there on the activities of making a chair, a rug, a bowl was separated into this other category called crafts. 1. But this distinction comes from a western tradition. 2. Many other cultures does not make this distinction. Example of Pomo Indians 3. And certainly we still consider ancient Greek vases to be art. There is no definite line that separates the two. Labels are a convenient way for people to talk label art. In fact with the feminist movement in the 70's, women were bringing crafts back into the world of art blurring the boundaries between art and craft!