I don't really consider DYI tutorials on making dream catchers as art. Typically these tutorials purpose serves as a quick, easy craft to hang in your home or wherever else. Dream catchers hold many important symbols among the construction of the interweaving lines and the bent length of wood. Originally the hole in the center of the dream catcher was used to trap the bad dreams while the web allows the good dreams to enter the sleeper. Now they seem more decorative than purposeful, but once there were specific gems and stones used to represent different things as well as specific bird feathers - many of which are now endangered. This was especially good for young children and infants because of the belief that the feathers from the Owl (representative of the female) and the hawk/eagle (representative of the male) hung above and influenced them. I don't consider it to be art because of the removal of content that happens when it becomes a quick craft project.

Stephanie Orr