It seems lately I keep hearing the term "Functional Art" being used quite a bit and I am wondering if people even know what Functional Art really means. For the majority it seems that people have no idea what it is. So what does "Functional Art" really mean?
Let me take you back to 2007. I had been doing monthly art venues in Downtown Las Vegas to promote my new shirt line and one particular month I did not attend because I was out of town. So I called my friend Nay to see what I missed and he told me there was a lady who met me at the venue the very first time I came out to sell my shirts, which was about a year prior. Nay said she was looking for me because she planned on opening a gallery that sold Functional Art and that my shirts inspired her to get the idea to feature local artists who make functional art. I laughed and said "Nay, your so full of it, I'm not even an artist. Well it turned out that Nay was not full of it and it turned out I really was an artist. He told me she would not open the gallery unless I put my shirts there because I was her inspiration for the shop. So at the time, I had never heard the term "functional art" and didnt even know I was making it. I later learned that Functional Art means art that can be used for multiple purposes. So because I was putting my art on to heat pressed shirts that could be viewed but also worn at the same time, therefore giving it more than one purpose making my art now functional. So soon after Eclectica Gallery was opened in Boulder City Nevada where tons of local artists, including my brand HAS Jewels, consigned all of our "Functional Art".
Prior to this happening I had never heard the term and I often wonder why it has not caught on because a lot of art is functional. But lately I have been hearing it used more and more. I remember my grandma telling me how the stuff I created as gifts for the holidays was always so useful. I never understood what she meant until now. Here I was my whole life creating functional art but never had a clue. Once I figured it out I wanted only to continue making it 24/7 and boy I sure did......HAS Jewels has over 700 active listings and it is still growing and evolving every single day. You can find my functional art and others on Etsy.com. My shop is www.hasjewelsbyshannon.etsy.com Check it out....support local artists!