I have been invited to show three works in The Biggs Museum of American Art’s juried exhibition highlighting the work of regional African American artists of the Mid-Atlantic region.
I extended this work into a self-directed social justice art project, Free Your Mind. Participants are invited to write a statement about implicit bias or a microaggression they have experienced onto a ribbon and then tie the ribbon onto a net to remove this story from their personal narrative. Free Your Mind displayed at Bridge Art Gallery in Bayonne in September, ArtHouse Productions JCFriday at Art 150 in Jersey City and at a Miami Art Week pop up in December.
Imagine the healing possible if people released their trauma. I’m currently looking for other locations to share and collect story ribbons. You are also welcome to drop off any luggage on the virtual page, HERE.
I welcome your suggestions and contribution to this work.
I also delved deeply into my own emotional baggage triggered by racial trauma and created of a new body of work, weaving onto recovered shopping carts.
My Emotional Baggage Carts serve… to separate myself from the daily experience of microaggressions and create a new possibility for myself, free from these constraints.
Power Puff with Black Racing Stripes
So far, I have made 19 full size emotional baggage carts, exploring a range of emotions, triggers and impacts from invisibility to the expression of joy as an act of resistance. Given the challenges of moving around my fleet of shopping carts. I miniaturized the concept and have been making mini desktop emotional baggage carts. Get yours here.
As you can imagine, a fleet of emotional baggage carts can take up considerable space. They have taken over Sky Garden Gallery both inside and on the roof and my studio. And they have found temporary homes as public art installations in Summit NJ and NY Governors Island.
The public art installation of “The Baggage We Carry” features three emotional baggage carts on display in Summit NJ from April 2021-April 2022.
MoCADA house public art installation of the “Wide Load” emotional baggage cart was a favorite at Governors Island, NY this Summer. I also enjoyed a yearlong virtual solo show, Hidden in Plain Sight, at MoCADA in Brooklyn NY and look forward to the opening of the new museum space next year.
This Spring, I secured gallery representation with Ivy Brown Gallery and couldn’t be happier with the partnership and guidance she is giving me to curate my art career on my own terms. Thank you Ivy Brown.
I displayed my large scale weaving “You Are So Articulate” and lead a virtual artist talk at NJAA Revision & Respondat the Newark Museum of Art. Take a peek at the show catalog
I even hosted my city councilman, James Solomon at I am My Hair– yarn wrapping session during the first in person JC Friday open studio since the beginning of the pandemic.
Sunset Colors
James Solomon
I Am My Hair Cypher
And my “Ponytails and Door Knockers” rope sculptures were used in a collaborative dance work, People, Place, Disruption with NIMBUS, Jersey City performed at NJPAC and at Nimbus, Jersey City. I was completely blown away by the thoughtful use of my fiber work in this dance. Gorgeous.
This month during Miami Art Week, Free Your Mind collected microaggression story ribbons at Ed Varie’s Sunsets Party at The Standard. And my fiber rope work and Mind Over Matter emotional baggage cart were showcased with Ndr Nw Mgmt (Under New Management) at Untitled Art Fair.
Microaggressions are subtle, everyday interactions or behaviors that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial messages or assumptions toward historically marginalized groups.
The weight of these daily interactions has very real consequences… stress, anger, frustration, self-doubt and ultimately feelings of powerlessness and invisibility.
LOCATION: Art150 at 150 Bay Street, Downtown Jersey City. Enter the building on the corner of 1st Street and Provost and ride the elevator up to the second floor.
ON VIEW: Now through January 8th 2022
Walk towards studio #231 and you will find the Free Your Mind installation.
Where you can write a statement about implicit bias or a microaggression you have experienced on a ribbon and then tie your ribbon onto the net to release this story from your personal narrative.
I am pleased to participate in Sunsets, an Energy Balance Gathering, a special engagement hosted by Ed. Varie in Miami Beach November 27, 2021.
Sunsets will present a textile installation of artist Kameron Robinson, an abstract, expressive body of work, aimed to envelop the viewer in the warmth and healing energy of the Sun.
Free Your Mind, is a public textile social justice art project aiming to collect, exhibit, embed, and release personal narratives about Microagressrions in a textile art piece created by Theda Sandiford.
Sunsets will be on view Saturday November 27, with a private cocktail reception by RSVP only.
Please RSVP to rsvp@edvarie.com or text 917.971.5898 for location and additional details.