Art, Craft, and Social Justice: Mapping Institutional Perspectives from the Creative Commons

This research produces a critical, conceptual framework for analyzing creative works situated across a spectrum of proprietary/public domain art, and popular/unpopular art. Building off the concept of the Creative Commons, we explore issues of justice and equity when a creative work changes its relationship to property (or degree of ownership of a creative work) and popularity (the degree of attention paid to a work of art. By conceptualizing two key components of artistic power (ownership and property) and how these two issues intersect, we suggest that issues of justice and equity become more nuanced and legible. Our research contributes to the literature on cultural economics, with specific emphasis on art, craft, and social justice.