Lawrence.com

There's no feminist motivation behind Ladies of Lawrence Artwork, says co-founder Kylie Grater.

Sure, the name of the artist collective suggests a hint of female empowerment. Or at least gender specification of would-be joiners. But Grater insists that the group's mission has nothing to do with being female, and everything to with being artists.

"It didn't spawn from the idea that women weren't getting their voices heard," says Grater, a jewelry designer. "It's not necessarily something that was needed in the community - it's something that sprang up from knowing talented artists."

All those artists happened to be women, she says, many of whom are involved in the "do-it-yourself movement (D.I.Y.) - which comes from a desire to make your own crafts rather than purchase mass-produced products."

Their work returns Saturday for public exhibit to mark the first anniversary of Ladies of Lawrence Artwork. This art show and sale follows four successful events during the past year. As more artists joined the effort, it quickly outgrew its original location at cosmetics store Babette, 924 1/2 Mass., and recently had to turn contributors away from an already brimming anniversary show. The event is set to include 15 artists' work, including fine art, prints and a lot of practical crafts - greeting cards, baby clothes, pillows, screen-printed tees, jewelry, hand-made clothes.

Grater says the show is a local window into a global crafting phenomenon.

"Young people are putting a modern spin on the crafting world," Grater says. In other words, they're sewing iPod holders rather than tea cozies. Media like ReadyMade magazine and craftster.org facilitate the growing community. And most large cities host festivals for hip knitters and their brethren. In September, Grater joined more than 150 other vendors from around the country to offer her Early Jewelry line at Chicago's Renegade Craft Fair. The Kansas-inspired line of bone, leather and silver is available in shops across the country.

Jewelry-making is obviously both art and craft. But long-time visual artists are stepping into the realm of usable wares, too, by slapping their images onto T-shirts and other products. LOLA member Kristen Ferrell makes her drawings affordable by screen-printing them onto threads. Her clothing, recognizable for its imagery of animals and severed body parts, is available in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Berlin, Dublin, Toronto, Taipei City and elsewhere.

Grater says that, while many artists involved in LOLA shows have not achieved such widespread marketing, support from fellow Lawrencians allows artists to wet their feet in the arts-and-crafts market.

"These local events have inspired people to become more involved in the whole D.I.Y. movement," she says. "It can be empowering."

To be clear, that's artistic-not female-empowerment. So, arts-and-crafty men of Lawrence, feel free to submit your wares to LOLA. They just might have to change their name.