Hiding In Plain Sight

Racial Gaslighting, hides in plain sight in everyday interactions. It subtly shifts dialog from a racist topic at hand onto the accuser – forcing me to question and re-assess my own response to racism, rather than the racism itself.

“You’re being overly dramatic.”

“Are you sure it was about race?”

“I’m sure he/she didn’t mean it like that.”


Intentional or not, these types of comments trigger a spiral of self-doubt and create a convenient way to avoid uncomfortable conversations about race.  

The constant questioning, twisting and undermining of personal experience and what I know to be true – has had a compound negative affect upon me, manifesting in insomnia, anxiety and hefty amounts of emotional baggage. Through these works, I am exercising these demons.

This exhibition explores implicit biases facing BIPOC communities and the aesthetic armor for protection I have created to shield myself.

Visit the Virtual Gallery

Playback the Art in the Atrium Virtual Talk

Lauren LeBeaux Craig, Esq., Executive Director of Art in the Atrium, Inc. and Dr. Cleveland Johnson, President/CEO of the Morris Museum, talk about about their brand-new partnership and upcoming special exhibition, The Social Fabric: Black Artistry in Fiber.

My tapestry Wonder Woman is hanging in the lobby of the museum through the end of October 2021.

Virtual tour of ReVision and Respond

How have the past few years of turbulence, isolation, unrest, and injustice affected artists?

Take a look at the exhibition ReVision and Respond, with me. This New Jersey Arts Annual exhibition features 45 New Jersey artists from all over the state. I will tour you through the show looking at my work and the work of my peers. This program will be available on Zoom and will be live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch.

Register HERE

Inside Look is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and The Newark Museum of Art.

Wide Load

I started calling this cart Wide Load before I was even conscious of how much of my emotional baggage is tied to the food I eat.
Don’t even think of visiting my Mom without her feeding you and taking a plate home. I can still smell , vivid memories of Father punishing me for not finishing my dinner plate and reminding of the starving children in Africa at the same time. A double whammy of eat your food and feel guilty about eating your food. I could go on and on…

Bottle caps, neon yellow 550 paracord, 200′ neon yellow camo 850 paracord, hollow braided polyurethane rope, solar LED rope lights, recycled Fresh Direct bag and commercial fishing net, zip ties, gold spray paint on recovered shopping cart. Photo by April Tracey
Bottle caps, neon yellow 550 paracord, 200′ neon yellow camo 850 paracord, hollow braided polyurethane rope, solar LED rope lights, recycled Fresh Direct bag and commercial fishing net, zip ties, gold spray paint on recovered shopping cart. Photo by April Tracey

Redistricting

When the lines between redistricting and gerrymandering are blurry…

Bottle caps, yellow 550 paracord, hollow braided polyurethane rope, solar LED lights, recycled commercial fishing net, zip ties, gold spray paint on recovered shopping cart. Photo by April Tracey

At night the sculpture lights up…

Bottle caps, yellow 550 paracord, hollow braided polyurethane rope, solar LED lights, recycled commercial fishing net, zip ties, gold spray paint on recovered shopping cart. Photo by April Tracey

Purple Fiesta

When I am not invited to the party, I’ll just throw a little fiesta for myself…

1” cut strips of African print fabric, acrylic yarn, pony beads, pom poms, bells, 850 paracord, cool LED lights on a gold recovered shopping cart. 36 x 40 x 24 in, 2021

Thunder Dome

Inspiration…

Recycled commercial fishing net, ribbon, and paracord 64 x 12 x 6 in September 2020

Interpretation…

Recycled commercial fishing net, ribbon, and paracord 64 x 12 x 6 in September 2020

Black Ballerina

As a child, I wanted to take ballet. When my mom took me to the dance school, the teacher took one look at me and told me I was better suited for Jazz/Tap because my skin tone would not match the point shoes. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jazz/Tap, but I never got a pair of point shoes and still regret this to this day.

A set of five 100′ of slip half hitched chain black glitter 1/4” cotton ropes, knotted with ribbon, recycled ribbon, sari ribbon, acrylic yarn, broken jewelry and 8” zip ties on bamboo ring.

Morning Dew

Sunrise and Morning Dew

The ornamental grasses on my roof deck sway gently,
with the breeze.
Holding droplets of dew , while the sun rises.
The light dancing between the high rises,
in boomerang reflection.
Warming the air and evaporating the pearl like droplets,
into vapor.

250′ Cotton rope, yarn, and a string of pearls on 8′ steel structure