Community Connection:

Hinda Mandell

Hinda Mandell‘s earliest memories are of crafting and tinkering. Her mother still keeps the rudimentary pillow she sewed from two bandanas. She learned to crochet socks, but discovered that they were exceptionally uncomfortable, and has since learned to knit them. Her daughter sleeps in comfy Hinda-knit socks. Hinda’s creations are an extension of herself, with a love of color and fine material. For now, she sews tops by hand with visible stitching and crocheted edging, though she has also done felting, making puppet-like creatures that she calls big mouths. 

Hinda Mandell is a professor at the ​​School of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Mandell teaches her students to think critically through crafting. She promotes sloyd, a Swedish concept where learning to craft creates a beautiful human. Students make items by hand, using readily available materials. She then guides her students through a series of readings where they learn about the connection between craft and the human experience.

Hinda has written about craft as a political action, a concept called “craftivism”, where craft and activism are combined. One example of craftivism is pussy hats – funny and ridiculous, yet they initiated chatter and sparked debate. Honda also mentioned the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Sewing Society, whose members saw handcraft as a metaphorical tool for the abolitionist cause. Started as a harmless women’s sewing circle and a place of community, the unneeded word “sewing” was dropped from their name. The ladies continued to craft and sew in addition to more public demonstrations of their commitment to abolition.

“Craftwork is necessary for my soul,” says Hinda. “It’s fulfilling because it’s hard - you can never be sure of the outcome!”

Felted Big Mouths