May: Inspiration, Community, and the Power of Collaboration

This month has been a whirlwind—charged with shared energy, creative breakthroughs, and meaningful connections. From my pilgrimage to Rome for Jubilee 2025 to the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in New York, NY Art Week exhibitions, and a return to my Jersey City showroom, one thing has become clear: collaboration and community are the lifeblood of my practice.

A standout moment was collaborating with artist and maker Nate Watson to build a custom loom lightbox for Entre Genres, a commission for Coty Infiniment Paris. I envisioned light passing through the weaving—refracted by suspended glass perfume bottles—capturing an ethereal, floating quality. Nate’s fabrication exceeded all expectations, and on a tight deadline. His generosity and expertise were instrumental in bringing this vision to life. I deconstructed marine line into soft fibers and wove airy, cloudlike gestures into the frame. The process opened new doors for me creatively—I’ve already started sketching a series of lightbox loom works inspired by this experience.

Morgan Mahape

Being immersed in art has been equally inspiring. Morgan Mahape’s beaded portrait at the 1-54 Fair stopped me in my tracks. The intricacy and emotion of the piece had me digging into my bead stash, suddenly seeing each bead like a pixel—tiny fragments forming a larger truth. That’s the power of great art: it reframes your perspective.

Spending time with other artists—talking technique, exchanging feedback, or simply standing in quiet reverence before a piece—has reminded me that art is never made in isolation. We are shaped by our conversations, our collaborators, and the environments we move through.

And yes, Rome was magical. Our trip began the same day Pope Francis passed away. We were among the first 100,000+ people to pay our respects during the wake at St. Peter’s Basilica. Standing before the frescoes, sculptures, catacombs, and icons I once only studied in books was surreal. Ancient cities built upon ruins of older cities—a living metaphor for layers of history and belief. I left with a deep desire to create a Threshold Altar installation, my own contemporary interpretation of iconography, spirituality, and faith. A slab of mahogany waits in my studio, alongside ritual items I’ve been quietly gathering. More soon on that.

This month, I’m filled with gratitude—for creative collaboration, for the artist community that surrounds me, and for the ongoing invitation to grow. Inspiration, after all, multiplies when shared.

Warp & Weft Math (Without the Headache)

Let me tell you—I’ve done my fair share of weaving on unconventional looms with everything from paracord to denim strips and marine rope. But when I recently set up my custom 24″ loom with a ¼” EPI spacing, I needed to get precise. I didn’t want to run out of materials mid-weave, especially when I’m working with reclaimed fibers that can be hard to match.

Enter the Grist Yarn Calculator.

I stumbled across it while searching for a warp and weft yardage calculator and wow—game changer. Grist Yarn’s tool helped me take the guesswork out of figuring out exactly how much material I needed.

Here’s how it helped:

My Project Specs:

  • Loom width: 24″
  • EPI: 4 (¼” spacing)
  • Length of piece: 24″
  • Warp waste allowance: 12″
  • Weft take-up estimate: 15%

Plugging those into the calculator gave me the exact yardage I needed for both warp and weft—in minutes. No scribbled notes or mental math. It even accounts for take-up and loom waste, which can make a big difference when working with chunky or unusual materials.


What I Learned:

Even with all my hands-on experience, it was incredibly helpful to have a digital tool double-check my math. Especially when I’m planning a series or working with limited quantities of fiber, knowing my numbers saves time and stress—and helps me stretch every inch of my materials.

Have you used it? Got another tool you swear by? Drop it in the comments—I’m always looking for ways to make the math behind the magic a little smoother.

Ponytails & Door Knocker Earrings Installation

Elaborate strands of rope, meticulously wrapped, woven, tied, and adorned with recycled beads, zip ties, ribbon, lace, tape, and bells beckon you towards a vibrant installation that serves as a visual representation of natural hair. These daring and playful sculptures delicately encourage viewers to engage in unconventional dialogues surrounding microaggressions, stereotypes, and implicit bias specifically faced by black women embracing their natural hair.

Inspired By: A Flipbook Machine

Each morning at Sky Garden STX, I step out onto the deck of my studio and let the sounds of the island caress me. The pearly-eyed thrashers call first—raspy, relentless, full of attitude. They dart through the trees like mischief in motion. Then the doves join in, their coos low and mournful, like lullabies passed down from long ago.

I listen.

Their chorus is not just background noise. It’s an invocation. The rhythm of wings, the hush between calls, the way the birds stake hold of space with sound. It’s music. It’s memory.

The birds are teaching me to pause, to trust the silences between gestures. To let motion emerge from stillness.

I’ve started wondering: What does it look like to be guided by birds? Not as subject matter, but in process, in tempo, in spirit? I’m not sure yet. But recently I came across a flipbook machine by J.C. Fontanive, the way it cycles through images of birds in flight—over and over, rhythmic, hypnotic, alive—it mirrors what I feel on the deck each morning: movement as meditation. Repetition as revelation.

I don’t know exactly where this is going. But I do know that before I pick up any materials, I always listen first. To the wind. To the wings. To the wild logic of song.

Let’s see what unfolds.

J.C. Fontanive

Ornithology L, 2018

four-color screen print on Bristol paper, stainless steel, motor and electronics

5.25 x 4.25 x 4 inches

Edition of 20, plus 2AP

Entre Genres

Threads whisper across the skin like breath—sun-warmed, musk-laced, and barely there. Light pulses through glass and fiber, teasing scent into form, until all that’s left is sensation suspended in air. This work doesn’t depict fragrance; it embodies it—an atmosphere where cloud becomes cloth and desire lingers in the space between touch and memory. It hovers between sensation and suggestion, where softness gathers form and scent becomes intimacy. Neither masculine nor feminine, but something in between—an alchemy of opposites, drifting toward the liminal, the numinous, the sublime. A breath held in silk and light, coaxing the senses into a slow unravel.

This display captures the essence of a cloud in a bottle, where airy meets musk in an interplay of weightlessness and sensuality. The woven structure, perfume bottles, and illumination create a dreamlike atmosphere—a triptych of unbearable lightness. The draped strings of bottle caps and beads add a playful touch, their movement producing a whisper of sound, that lingers in the air.

Entre Genres—between genders—echoes in the in-between: between what’s seen and what’s felt, between softness and sharpness, between what we carry and what we choose to let go.

When I wrap and weave with reclaimed materials—veggie mesh bags, marine line, sari yarn, beads, cowrie shells, bottle caps—I’m telling stories that don’t fit neatly into boxes. These are stories about how gender, race, memory, and power collide. They’re messy, layered, sometimes contradictory—just like the objects I gather.

I don’t believe in fixed categories. My practice is fluid. A soft sculpture can be a shield. A braid can draw a boundary. A shopping cart can carry both trauma and transformation. The materials I use slip between definitions—just like I do. Entre Genres is a space I return to again and again. It’s where I feel most alive.

In my hands, materials shift. They become tools of protection, celebration, resistance. I’m not interested in clean edges—I’m drawn to what happens when we blur them, stretch them, braid something new from the fray.

That’s where the beauty lives—in the becoming.

When I first smelled the fragrance—a cloud of musks—I thought of sunrise. That first light brushing across the sky, the hush of morning dew, the coo of doves at dawn. I wanted to turn that feeling into form—something you don’t just see, but sense, like the memory of a sun-kissed face.

To make this piece, I collaborated with Nate Watson to build a custom loom lightbox. I wanted the light to pass through the weaving, refracted by glass bottles. I deconstructed marine line into soft fibers and warped the loom, weaving cloudlike gestures into the frame to capture that airy, floating feeling.

Every material was chosen for how it plays with light—how it glows, reflects, and diffuses, just like scent disperses in the air. The musks—warm, intimate, almost skin-like—inspired my palette and textures. I wove reclaimed fabric in gentle, breath-like rhythms, creating a softness that invites closeness without fully revealing itself.

Rather than represent the scent literally, I focused on the sensation—how musk lingers close to the body, how it lives in that space between presence and absence. This piece doesn’t just exist in space; it inhabits it, like a fragrance does. It’s about drift, about trace, about what lingers.

Much of my work lives in this realm—between touch and memory, between what’s held and what’s released. A cloud of musks became an invitation to make something that doesn’t shout, but whispers. Something that floats in the air between us.

May Exhibitions & Beyond

2025 is shaping up to be a powerful year of storytelling, connection, and expansive visibility for my work across the U.S. and beyond. From New York City to San Diego, and even home on St. Croix, I’m honored to present a range of projects that explore collective memory, material transformation, and healing through fiber. Here’s where you can find me:


1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Dates: May 8–11, 2025
Location: Halo, 28 Liberty Street, NYC
I’m thrilled to return to 1-54, the leading fair dedicated to contemporary African art, presenting new work that bridges ancestral narratives with present-day urgency.


The Future Belongs to the Loving
Dates: May 3 – July 31, 2025
Location: MAPSpace, 6 N Pearl St 4th Floor, Port Chester, NY
More Info
I’ll be sharing Free Your Mind, a participatory installation unpacking microaggressions and offering a communal space for release and reflection.


FIBER 2025
Dates: May 10 – June 19, 2025
Opening Reception: May 17, 2025
Location: Silvermine Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Rd, New Canaan, CT
My Blackity Black Blanket Library Drape will be featured—an expansive textile work exploring Black identity, protection, and cultural memory.


Sky Garden Studio Tour & Ecopark Walk
Date: June 19, 2025, 11am–2pm
Location: Sky Garden Gallery Retreat, Kingshill, St. Croix, USVI
Come experience where the magic happens. I’ll be hosting an intimate studio tour and a guided walk through the ecopark—sharing process, stories, and island-grown inspiration.


Fiberart International 2025
Dates: June 20 – August 30, 2025
Location: Brew House Arts, 711 S 21st St #210, Pittsburgh, PA
This juried exhibition celebrates innovation in contemporary fiber art—an honor to be included among such dynamic global voices.


MidAtlantic Fiber Association Conference: Emotional Baggage Cart Parade
Dates: June 26–29, 2025
Location: Millersville University, Millersville, PA
Details Here
My interactive Emotional Baggage Cart Parade installation will invite participants to name, confront, and ceremoniously discard emotional burdens.


Interpretations 2025
Dates: October 17, 2025 – January 10, 2026
Location: Visions Museum of Textile Art, 2825 Dewey Rd #100, San Diego, CA


If you’re near any of these locations, I would love to see you! Each exhibition is an invitation to engage, reflect, and participate in the stories woven into my work. Stay tuned for more details and behind-the-scenes updates.

With gratitude,
Theda

Spring Into Summer: Upcoming Exhibitions & Events

As the days grow longer and the light shifts, so too does my work—stretching itself into new spaces, new conversations, and new communities. I’m thrilled to share a series of upcoming exhibitions and events where my artwork will be on view. From the streets of New York City to the hills of St. Croix, from intimate gallery walks to fiber-filled parades—there’s something powerful on the horizon.


The Future Belongs to the Loving

May 3 – July 31, 2025
MAPSpace | 6 N Pearl St, 4th Floor, Port Chester, NY
Collaborative Events + Opening Reception: May 3
🔗 https://mapspace.art

This exhibition is an invitation to imagine futures rooted in radical love and shared care. Join me for collaborative programming and a reception on May 3.

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

May 8–11, 2025
Halo, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY

I’m honored to present work at 1-54, the leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary African art. Nestled in the heart of the city, this gathering is a celebration of global Black creativity. Come find me at Halo.

Book your ticket


FIBER 2025

May 10 – June 19, 2025
Opening Reception: May 17, 2025
Silvermine Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Rd, New Canaan, CT

Fiber art holds stories in every strand. I’m thrilled to exhibit Blackity Black Blanket Library Ladders Drape in FIBER 2025, among artists who manipulate thread, texture, and tension to powerful ends. Let’s schedule a meet during the show run and feel the warp and weft of connection.


Theda Sandiford Sky Garden STX Studio Tour / Ecopark Walk

June 19, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sky Garden Gallery Retreat, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI

On Juneteenth, I invite you into my island sanctuary. Walk with me through Sky Garden STX Studio and Ecopark, tour where magic is made, and witness how marine debris and ancestral memory converge. This is art as ritual, land as teacher.


Fiberart International 2025

June 20 – August 30, 2025
Public Opening: June 20 | 4:30 – 8:00 PM
Brew House Arts, 711 S 21st St #210, Pittsburgh, PA
June 21: Juror’s Talk (TBD) + Artist-led Tour 11 AM – 12 PM

Pittsburgh will be the beating heart of the fiber art world this summer, and I’m proud to be part of this dynamic exhibition. Mark your calendars for the opening and weekend programming—fiber is having its moment, and I’m bringing Rainforest Rhapsody with me.


MidAtlantic Fiber Association Conference: Emotional Baggage Cart Parade

June 26–29, 2025
Millersville University, Millersville, PA
Learn More Here

Come witness the Emotional Baggage Cart Parade—an interactive, mobile installation inviting participants to unpack what they carry and reflect on collective healing. Join us at MAFA and walk with intention.


From ziptie blankets on ladders to carts packed with memory and resistance, these works are not just objects—they’re vessels of story, tools of transformation, and mirrors reflecting the world we live in.

See you soon—somewhere on the map.

—Theda

What the Cart Carries

I shop abandoned carts the way some people browse thrift stores—curious, reverent, searching for forgotten truths. Left behind in alleyways, wedged between dumpsters, ghosted near bus stops—these carts speak. They are quiet monuments to lives interrupted.

Each one begins as a portrait of absence. Bent wheels. Rusted frames. Sometimes discarded trash still clings to the grating. Sometimes, only the echo of the person who once claimed it remains. These objects evoke more than loss—they testify. To displacement. To a time when we moved through stores with baskets in hand. To survival in plain sight.

They remind me of the stateless. The unhoused. The invisible laborers who build our cities and are swept away like dust. Each cart in my Emotional Baggage Cart series becomes a ritual of witnessing. I dress them in what we carry: zip ties, frayed rope, yarn, beads. Remnants upon remnants upon remnants.

They transform—into portals. Shrines. Evidence. Sculptures of grit and possibility. Through each cart, I ask:


Whose burdens are we pretending not to see?

Free Your Mind at The Future Belongs to the Loving

I’m honored and excited to share that my interactive installation Free Your Mind will be featured in the upcoming exhibition The Future Belongs to the Loving, on view from May 3 through July 31, 2025 at MAPSpace, located at 6 N Pearl St, 4th Floor, Port Chester, NY.

This show could not be more timely—or more necessary.

Opening Day is May 3rd, and it promises to be a vibrant, full-day celebration of collective creativity, healing, and resistance through the power of art. From morning coffee and community connection to workshops, performances, and living sculpture, the day will be brimming with opportunities to engage, reflect, and rejoice.


Exhibition + Opening Day Details:

May 3, 2025 | 🕚 11am – 7pm
MAPSpace, 6 N Pearl St 4th Floor, Port Chester, NY
Visit MAPSpace

Collaborative Events Schedule:

  • 11:00–11:30 AM – Coffee + Welcome Remarks
  • 11:30–12:30 PM – Sound Bath Workshop with Serena Buschi
  • 1:00–5:00 PM – Rotating Presentations with Theda Sandiford (that’s me!), Natlaya Khorover, and Michael Sylvan Robinson
  • 5:00 PM – Performance by Ms Muscle
  • 5:00–7:00 PM – Living Sculpture with Amy Keefer

About Free Your Mind

Free Your Mind invites viewers and participants alike to confront and release the weight of microaggressions—those subtle, often unintentional moments that carry very real emotional impact.

This piece provides a space of craftivist healing. Participants inscribe the microaggressions they’ve experienced on colorful ribbons, tying them onto the installation and quite literally freeing them from the confines of personal silence. As the work grows, it becomes an evolving, visible, communal record of disempowering interactions—open for reflection, conversation, and, ideally, transformation.

This work lives at the intersection of artivism and collective care, and I’m honored to share it alongside fellow artists who are also committed to joy, activism, and connection through creative expression.


The Future Belongs to the Loving asks: How do we create loving, resilient communities in a world that feels increasingly fragmented and fragile? I believe we begin by telling the truth, creating together, and holding space for each other—and that’s exactly what this show is about.

Come out, connect, and contribute. I can’t wait to see you there.

With love and intention,
Theda

Free Your Mind