We are a creative duo aiming to make art and craftwork accessible to young New Yorkers. We host weekly events for friends and strangers to come together and create. We teach workshops and host spaces for people to learn from and inspire each other. We also host private events, parties, and brand collaborations!
Isabelle Rieken (@isabelle_rieken) & Noa Mellul (@noamellul)
Izzy: I always attribute my crafting to my maternal Grandmother who was a teacher her whole career and loved making with her hands. Any time we were together I was learning a new craft. My favorite being Origami and paper crafts.
Noa: Growing up, my mom was a collage artist. On weekends, she would bring me to her studio and let me play around with her materials while she worked on a piece. My dad, although a businessman, expressed his artistic side in how he very intentionally decorated our apartment. Being surrounded by so much creativity in my young years made it so I learned to express myself creatively, and was always wanting to try new “crafts”.
Basta: How did you two meet and what inspired you to start Craft Society together?
Noa: We met at our mutual friend’s birthday party on a trampoline and instantly meshed. We spent an hour getting to know each other between jumps and catching our breath. As if it were fate, we discovered that we shared the same Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood. That week, we met over pancakes for dinner and Craft Soc was (re)born!
B: What was your first Craft Society event and how have they evolved from there?
Craft Society: Our first event as a duo was stitching “objects of affection” in June. I remember we posted on Instagram and didn’t decide on how many people we could host and all of a sudden we had 40 RSVPs! We’ve grown and learned so much since then. Our biggest learning curve has been prepping speed. With each event we’ve learned how to get more efficient which has allowed us to start hosting events once a week instead of once a month
B: What event has been most memorable for you?
Noa: It’s so hard to pick! Each one has been so special and heartwarming but I may have to say the kite-making one. We were so excited to host the workshop at the Brooklyn Pier but we dreadfully saw that the weather was not going to be ideal. We had to pivot to hosting it in Izzy’s apartment, and it ended up being such a cozy breakfast workshop. We made our kites while watching the rain go down, and I made matcha and pancakes. Although we didn’t get to fly our kites all together, Izzy and I took some to the park the next day and ran around like children.
B: Is there a certain craft style, tradition or designer that your society emphasizes or embodies? What are your main sources of creativity for both personal and the society’s craft projects?
Izzy: I’ve always been drawn to folk crafts and traditional craftsmanship.
Noa: I love all things vintage and that definitely translates in our workshop ideas and branding. I’ve been dreaming of a butter-making workshop for months....
B: What is a new, unfamiliar craft or craft project you are each eager to try?
Izzy: I’ve been eager to try weaving!
Noa: I would love to learn how to embroider. It is such a beautiful art and a sweet way to customize anything.
B: Craft is often discussed as an opposing, resisting force against mass production and consumption. Do you feel as though there has been a reminiscent interest and return to craft and handiwork in light of this increasingly technological aspect to art forms?
Izzy: Absolutely!! And it’s why I find it so exciting to be investing time into relearning crafts.
Noa: I definitely think that there is a push to return to community and creativity and hand-creating. After every event we hear people talk about how much they appreciate having a space to create something and learn a new skill and get to be off their phone for a few hours!
B: Is this sustainable aspect of craftwork something you consider and engage with in your practices and events? Do you see your Craft Society as part of a larger cultural conversation and movement surrounding art in the age of mass production and consumption?
Izzy: While I dont think we have reached this level of influence, it is definitely something craftwork strives for. It is something I value in my personal life because I treasure handmade items more than any mass produced item I could own.
Noa: Absolutely. I studied Sustainability in college and it’s a value that permeates every aspect of my life. Being able to gift people the knowledge of hand-making will, I hope, impart some desire to continue that when they leave Craft Society, and make whatever they desire themselves instead of buying it on Amazon or some other fast consumerism site.
B: Do you think craft is more intimate, community based than other art forms? How does your community foster this idea?
Noa: I don’t want to compare or devalue any form of art but I do think community is integral to “craft”. So much of it is about learning from each other and creating things together. I grew up painting and drawing and those art classes were silent, with most of us listening to our own music in our headphones. When we host workshops, people are constantly talking through ideas together, asking each other questions, and collaborating on their projects.
B: Craft has historically been devalued, traditionally tied to the feminine, domestic, and functional sphere in comparison to “higher” forms of art like painting and sculpture. How do you define craft and do you find the term troublesome? Have you experienced this divide, for example reflected in the participants at your events, or do you think the conversation and environment surrounding crafts has evolved?
Izzy: I think this is real!!! As an artist it's been a struggle to be able to call myself an artist when my main mediums have been derived from craftwork. I don’t enjoy painting or drawing as my medium and it left me confused about my place in the art world.
Noa: I honestly think I started using the word craft after meeting Izzy. Growing up, anything remotely creative was “art”. I’m still developing my definition of and relationship to “craft” but I think it leans more towards history and utility. To me, craft is something passed on through generations- my grandmothers taught me how to knit when I was in kindergarten. It also feels to me like crafting has a useful element, whether it’s mending or creating something wearable, while “art” is almost purely decorative. Still a working and changing definition for sure though.
B: Do you champion this historical connection of crafts with women or do you think the conversation should evolve to break the gendered connotations?
Izzy: I would love to emphasize this more! Societies used to value craftspeople for their level of expertise, but industrialization has stripped many craftspeople of their passions and projects, particularly women.
Noa: I agree with Izzy. I think it’s interesting to note how “craftsmen” used to be cobblers and welders and over time it became associated with at-home wives as a pastime or an expected duty. With each event, we are careful to not make the marketing or branding too “girly”. We want everyone to feel welcome! It’s so wonderful to see boys join in on something traditionally feminine and see how silly that separation is.
B: If you could choose any artist to collaborate with for a future craft event, who would it be and why?
Noa: Wow, what a tough question. Honestly, I think it would be Laila Gohar. I have worked for her in the past and admire everything she does. She is a pioneer in food styling which is an unconventional new “craft” I have fallen in love with. Other than her, it may be the Bode couple. I have loved fashion since I was young and their brand embodies the intersection of craft and clothing. I’m not sure what the workshop would be but I would love to pick their brains :)
B: What upcoming craft events are you most looking forward to?
Noa: We are doing a food styling workshop and I am stoked!! I have worked in food since graduating college and have definitely found my voice. Playing with food is not something to frown upon anymore, and I can’t wait to host a workshop with my friend Cristina, whom I met through working at Gohar World.
B: How do you envision your community evolving in the future?
Noa: As big as possible! We want to keep hosting events every week, and the goal is to get our own studio in the next 2-3 months where we can host the events and have a space for people to come and work on their projects. One of the wonderful things about meeting Izzy is that we are incredibly aligned on the future of Craft Society. We both want to make it our full-time jobs and just continue meeting people and creating and crafting!