Prepare to get mugged.
To coincide with The Clay Studio’s 40-hour anniversary celebration on May 9th and 10th, a cadre of dedicated “handmade activists” will hit the streets of Philadelphia in search of disposable coffee cups. In exchange for a few moments of conversation about the role of handmade goods (and handing over their disposable cup), coffee drinkers will receive a handmade mug created by one of the many talented potters who exhibit at The Clay Studio.
The Guerilla Mug Assault, supported in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, is a continuation of a wildly successful project begun in 2012, when 500 mugs were given away.
Writer, artist and activist Betsy Greer coined the word “Craftivism” to describe the use of craft objects and processes to build community and unite people around a common cause. Craftivist projects have included everything from knitting sweaters for penguins to protect them in the event of an oil spill to the creation of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Garth Johnson, the Curator of Artistic Programs at The Clay Studio, has argued persuasively that one of the main beneficiaries of craftivist projects is the field of craft itself. By putting handmade cups directly into the hands of the public, The Clay Studio is reaching beyond its usual audience and asking people to question their daily consumption habits.
NPR and other nonprofit organizations often use the amount of money that people spend on coffee to call attention to the amount they spend on other, less tangible things. Similarly, The Clay Studio asks those who care deeply about where their food comes from to consider the origins (and broader ethical implications) of where their tableware comes from. In a world where locavores pay top dollar at the Farmer’s Market and pore over the signage at Whole Foods to learn more about the bucolic farms where their kale was grown, it’s surprising that many of those same people think nothing of slurping their fair-trade shade-grown coffee from a paper cup."
