Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Arzu Ozkal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Arzu, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2011, when I became pregnant with my first child, I started encountering the professional biases that women face when they choose to have children. A 2012 New York Times article titled Talking About Why Women Can’t Have It All discussed how real change requires a shift in social norms, encouraging open discussions about work-life compromises. I saw how these biases persisted across industries, including the art world, where mothers often face unique challenges.

In response, I co-founded the art collective Home Affairs with my colleague, Ohio-based artist Nanette Yannuzzi Macias. Home Affairs is an interdisciplinary collective focusing on creative projects that address a range of issues affecting women’s lives. In 2012, we launched a campaign asking, “Do arts organizations support caregiving?” Through a series of prints and public engagements, we highlighted the challenges mothers encounter as cultural producers.

This campaign inspired us to propose practical solutions for galleries and museums. One of our key projects was ArtSit, a unique piece of furniture crafted specifically to support families and caregivers visiting these spaces. ArtSit elevates children to art-level, allowing them to engage with exhibits without feeling excluded. Traditional gallery setups position artwork at 57 inches—the average adult eye height—while a 2-year-old child stands at about 34 inches. This height difference often requires caregivers to lift children to view the art, which can be uncomfortable for both. ArtSit addresses this by enabling children to comfortably see and engage with the exhibits, fostering inclusivity within art institutions, especially for parents with young children.

Arzu, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an artist, designer, and educator deeply engaged in exploring issues related to women’s experiences, inclusion, and the intersections of art and community. My journey in the arts began with a strong belief in the power of creative work to generate dialogue. This belief led me to migrate from Turkey in 2003 to attend graduate school in the U.S., leaving behind a well-paying graphic design career. I felt there was more I could contribute to the field than simply providing visual solutions to client needs. I wanted to use art and design to raise awareness, challenge norms, and advocate for social change.

A pivotal moment in my education was seeing a photograph of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in my “Ritual and the Body” class during my first year. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Madres de Plaza de Mayo) is a social protest movement highlighting the missing children of Argentina during the military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983. In the image, mothers sit in the public square, wearing white headscarves embroidered with their missing children’s names as a powerful memorial and call for justice. I remember thinking, this is the most powerful use of graphic design I had ever seen. This experience confirmed my path: to use art as a tool for social and cultural transformation.

In addition to my work with Home Affairs, an interdisciplinary art collective I co-founded to advocate for women’s issues, I am involved in multiple initiatives that aim to enrich arts education, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and promote community-focused design. I’m especially passionate about projects that encourage diversity in artistic representation, amplifying voices that reflect a wide range of identities and life experiences.

What sets my work apart is my commitment to inclusivity and my dedication to creating spaces where art can intersect meaningfully with people’s lives. My work isn’t just about creating visually engaging pieces—it’s about questioning norms, advocating for change, and inviting people to see art spaces as places of connection and inclusivity. For me, the ultimate purpose of art and design is to foster a sense of belonging, allowing each person to find their own place in the creative landscape.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Here’s an example: Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, Ohio, has been funding arts and culture through a cigarette tax since 2006. Currently, the tax is around 3.5 cents per cigarette. The revenue generated from this tax is distributed to nonprofit arts organizations throughout the county, supporting a wide range of cultural programs and initiatives. Since its inception, the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) fund has awarded over 4,000 grants totaling $247 million to 485 nonprofits. This funding enables local cultural institutions, artists, and educational programs to thrive, enriching communities, fostering social cohesion, and boosting the local economy. It ultimately enhances quality of life and makes the region more attractive to new residents and businesses.

While I’m certainly not promoting smoking here, this approach demonstrates a creative way to support the arts, especially when there’s strong public recognition of its importance. Arts and culture are essential to a vibrant, unique community, and access to the arts enhances quality of life. Art museums, theaters, public art installations, music festivals, and other cultural events provide residents with inspiring, entertaining, and educational experiences, bringing communities closer together.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One of the resources I wish I’d known about earlier in my creative journey is the value of reaching out and collaborating with other artists and creative professionals. In school, we’re often shown the image of the “master artist” alone in a studio, waiting for divine inspiration. But that ideal can lead us into isolated careers, tucked away in office cubicles, disconnected from the creative energy around us. Isolation is not for me.

I’ve learned that connecting with others broadens your perspective and can open doors to new opportunities and ideas you might never encounter alone. Collaborative projects, mentorship networks, and collective art initiatives are incredible resources for support, inspiration, and growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.contrary.info
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arzu_ozkal
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arzuozkal

Image Credits

Braulio Lam, Jonathan Mantell, Elham Ahmadi