When I’m Not Invited to the Party, I Throw a Little Fiesta for Myself
Theda Sandiford Purple Fiesta 41 x 27 x 42 in 1” cut strips of African print fabric, acrylic yarn, pony beads, pom poms, bells, 850 paracord, cool LED lights and ziptie blanket on a gold recovered shopping cart 2021
There’s something powerful about reclaiming joy, especially in spaces that feel exclusive or closed off. When I’m not invited to the party, I throw a little fiesta for myself—because joy, after all, is a form of resistance. This isn’t just about finding happiness but about creating my own space to celebrate life on my terms.
In my work, I built this Emotional Baggage Carts, layering vibrant colors, textures, and beads as a way to confront and carry the invisible weight of exclusion. But more than that, this cart is a declaration of self-worth and a release. This cart is a symbol of resilience—a reminder that even when the doors are closed, we still have the power to thrive.
Joy is transformative; it’s how we honor ourselves. By choosing joy, by dancing through our own fiestas, we reclaim the narrative and build new possibilities for ourselves—ones free from constraint, alive with self-love, and radiant with our own spirit.
Theda Sandiford
Grass Is Not Greener
40 x 21 x 39 in
Gold painted recovered shopping cart with a bicycle bell, paracord, zip tie blanket, LED strobe light, batterie operated LED star lights and basket woven with marine line, fabric and paracord.
2022
“The Grass Is Greener” is a common idiom that expresses the idea that things always seem better, more desirable, or more appealing on the other side—often referring to someone else’s situation, possessions, or lifestyle. This phrase captures the human tendency to idealize what we don’t have and to believe that life would be better if we were in a different place or had different circumstances.
This suggests a sense of dissatisfaction with one’s current state, driven by the illusion that another situation might be more fulfilling or problem-free. However, it also implies that this perception may be misleading, as we are often unaware of the complexities and challenges that exist elsewhere.
This emotional baggage cart is filled with the weight of unmet expectations, the heavy burden of regret, and the frustration of chasing illusions. It carries the emotional toll of having uprooted oneself, either physically or mentally, in pursuit of something “better”—only to find that the new landscape is not as perfect as it seemed from a distance. This shopping cart serves as a metaphor for the journey of coming to terms with the complexities of desire and contentment, reminding us that fulfillment is often found not in the pursuit of what is elsewhere, but in the appreciation and tending to where we are now.
Theda Sandiford Grass Is Not Greener 40 x 21 x 39 in 2022Theda Sandiford Grass Is Not Greener 40 x 21 x 39 in 2022
Theda Sandiiford Power Puff Black Racing Stripes, 36 x 40 x 24 in Bike reflectors and bell, paracord, Fresh Direct bag yarn, doggie poop bags, plastic newspaper bags and plastic grocery bags woven on gold spray painted recovered shopping cart. 2021
Created using plastic New York Post newspaper sleeves woven onto a gold spray-painted, reclaimed shopping cart, transforming BAD NEWS into a symbol of Joyful Resistance.
Joyful resistance seeks to reclaim spaces and narratives that have been dominated by oppressive forces, flipping the script by finding beauty, connection, and empowerment in the act of standing up for justice. It is about holding space for hope and vision, even in the face of adversity, creating a more vibrant and inclusive world through the act of celebration and creative expression.
I’m still on cloud nine—and a bit exhausted—after the Emotional Baggage Cart Parade, which took place along 14th Street in Manhattan from October 18-20 as part of the Art in Odd Places (AiOP) Festival. For three days, this public art initiative invited people to acknowledge and lighten the psychological burdens we all carry daily. Ordinary shopping carts were transformed into mobile art installations, offering a powerful visual and interactive metaphor for the emotional baggage we accumulate.
Over 500 participants came together to confront and symbolically release their own burdens, creating a profound experience of communal healing and empathy. As I edit stories for a series of videos showcasing the interactions and personal stories from the event, I am deeply moved by how this project resonated with so many.
My deepest thanks go out to the incredible parade team—without you, none of this would have been possible. April Tracey, Ivy Brown, Amy Andrieux, Anne Choi, Ulysses Williams, Gigi Matthews, Maria Ross, Farai Chideya, Cheryl Mack, Bryant Small, Valerie Huhn, Susan Evans Grove, Lucy Rovetto, Donna Kessinger, Maria & Shalik Thomas and family, Ivy Brown Gallery, Kangaroo Courier, and CustomSashs.com—thank you all for your invaluable support and contributions.
A special thank you to Patricia Miranda and Christopher Kaczmarek, curators of Art in Odd Places 2024: CARE, along with Curatorial Manager Valentina Zamora, Producer Robin Schatell, and AiOP Founder & Director Ed Woodham, for providing such a thoughtful and inclusive space for art and community.
Stay tuned for the video series that captures these moments of shared release and resilience. Until then, I’ll be reflecting on the magic that happens when art becomes a space for connection, healing, and transformation.
Theda Sandiford
Merica Emotional Baggage Cart
42 x 24 x 42 in
Gold painted recovered shopping cart with a bicycle bell, woven with plastic grocery & newspaper bags, paracord, jute, flag bunting, and cotton patriotic placemats, LED light.
2024
During a recent artist residency in the Allegheny Mountains, a trip to the local Walmart for supplies reminded me that I was in Trump territory and very much “not from around these parts.” This experience brought into sharp focus a part of America I rarely see from within the confines of inner-city enclaves—a landscape marked by cultural and political divides. This work explores these tensions, reflecting on the ways geography, class, race and identity intersect, and aims to create a dialogue that bridges the gaps between urban and rural, familiar and unfamiliar, us and them. I seek to find common ground, to understand the stories under the surface, and to challenge preconceived notions with empathy and curiosity.
Theda Sandiford Merica Emotional Baggage Cart 42 x 24 x 42 in 2024Theda Sandiford Merica: Emotional Baggage Cart 42 x 24 x 42 in 2024
Join me this weekend for The Emotional Baggage Cart Parade at the CARE Art in Odd Places Festival! This unique public art experience invites you to witness and engage with a visual metaphor for the emotional burdens we all carry. I’ll be roaming the streets with my transformed shopping carts, offering an interactive opportunity to explore and release your own emotional baggage.
Catch me at the following times and locations:
Friday, October 18: 12:00-2:00pm, roaming Avenue A to 3rd Avenue along 14th Street
Saturday, October 19: 12:00-2:00pm, roaming University Place/Union Square West to 7th Avenue along 14th Street
Sunday, October 20: 12:00-2:00pm, roaming Seventh Avenue to Eleventh Avenue or the water along 14th Street
Come say hello and experience this moving installation as we transform emotional weight into art. See you there!
The Emotional Baggage Cart Parade is a public art project that transforms everyday shopping carts into mobile art installations, symbolizing the emotional burdens we carry. This initiative encourages participants to confront and release their psychological weight, fostering communal healing and empathy.
Volunteers are needed to push three carts and engage with the public. DM Theda @MissTheda to get involved!
The Emotional Baggage Cart Parade @ CARE Art in Odd Places Festival
Friday, October 18, from12:00-2:00pm roaming Avenue A to 3rd Avenue along 14th street
Saturday, October 19, from 12:00-2:00pm roaming University Place/Union Square West to 7th Avenue along 14th Street
Sunday, October 20, from 12:00-2:00pm roaming Seventh Avenue to Eleventh Avenue or the water along 14th Street
I’m excited to announce that the Emotional Baggage Cart Parade will be part of Art in Odd Places (AiOP) 2024: CARE Festival, happening from October 18-20, 2024, along 14th Street in Manhattan! Curated by Patricia Miranda and Christopher Kaczmarek, this year’s festival brings together 76 incredible artists and collectives to explore and celebrate the concept of “CARE” in all its forms.
Art in Odd Places is a unique festival where art breaks out of traditional spaces and takes over the streets, and I am thrilled to be one of the participating artists this year. This year’s theme, CARE, invites us to pause and reflect on questions like: Who do we give care to? What is worthy of our care? When can care be too much? And can we extend our care beyond ourselves, our families, and even beyond our species?
For my piece, the Emotional Baggage Cart Parade, I’m inviting everyone to come together and confront the psychological burdens we carry daily. By transforming ordinary shopping carts into mobile art installations, this parade offers a powerful metaphor for the emotional baggage we all carry. The goal is to create a communal space where participants can symbolically release these burdens, fostering empathy, connection, and healing. I’m eager to share this experience with you all!
A Preview of the Festival
Let me give you a sneak peek at some of the other powerful works you’ll encounter at the AiOP 2024 CARE Festival:
Fungal Entanglement by the Lichen Likers is a wearable fabric sculpture activated by performance, encouraging us to care for the non-human citizens of New York City. Join them for an embodied experience that opens up new ways to connect with the environment we all share.
COAST/LINES by Earthworks, featuring Catherine Chen and Cristina Bartley Dominguez, is a moving performance that addresses the tensions and burdens of our changing landscapes by slowly transporting a boulder sculpture through the city.
Coneheads by Giannina Gomez offers a playful yet poignant take on public health and safety in our chaotic urban environment, helping those in need and reminding everyone to stay alert.
you are here by Deirdre Macleod presents an alternative way of navigating and knowing a city through a slow, careful act of drawing and mapping the fragments of 14th Street at a 1:1 scale. It’s a meditative experience that makes us think about what it means to truly see and understand a place.
WASH!: rituals for healing at the laundry line by the WasherWoman Collective is a community installation and story-sharing experience that invites us to witness and honor the contributions of our foremothers, moving through grief towards a future reimagined.
Urban Animist Intervention Ritual Hex by Creatures From The Hole Poetry & Film Collective//Autocracy will roam 14th Street, activating urban “inanimates” and engaging the public in their whimsical and revolutionary “puppet” interventions.
These are just a few of the fantastic works that will be featured at AiOP 2024 CARE. This festival will challenge, inspire, and move us as we think deeply about what it means to care for ourselves, each other, and our world. Full details of all projects, along with the locations and timing of performances, will be released in mid-September, so stay tuned!
Join Us!
Mark your calendars for October 18-20, 2024, and come experience the art, creativity, and deep reflections on care that AiOP 2024 CARE has to offer. I can’t wait to share the streets of Manhattan with all of you in this incredible festival of public art!
See you there, and let’s join together in a chorus of care!
Theda Sandiford “Where is Malibu Kristie?” April 2023, Paracord, ribbon, cool LED lights and various vintage Barbies on gold spray painted recovered shopping cart. 36 x 40 x 24 in
In the 1970s, finding a Black Barbie doll could be quite challenging due to limited availability and prevailing racial attitudes. During this time, the toy market was predominantly geared towards white consumers, and Barbie dolls were primarily produced with Caucasian features.
For Black children who wanted a doll that reflected their own appearance, options were scarce. Many toy stores carried a limited selection of Black dolls, and those that were available often faced issues like lower production quantities, less prominent shelf placement, and sometimes higher prices compared to their white counterparts.
Moreover, societal norms and prejudices influenced both the production and marketing of toys, including dolls. Some toy companies were hesitant to diversify their product lines due to concerns about profitability or fear of backlash from consumers who were not yet ready to embrace racial diversity in toys.
As a result, families seeking Black Barbie dolls in the 1970s had to search more extensively, to find a doll that represented their child’s racial or ethnic identity. This scarcity and the challenges of finding representation in toys underscored the broader social inequalities and cultural biases of the time.
The Atlantic Slave Trade laid the groundwork for modern capitalism, unfolding in three stages: arms, textiles, and wine from Europe to Africa; enslaved people from Africa to the Americas; and sugar and coffee from the Americas to Europe. The brutal Middle Passage marked the journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.
As a Caribbean and African American woman, I am still emotionally unpacking my identity through this historical trauma. The metaphorical baggage carts, not fully covered in zip ties, symbolize my ongoing struggle with unresolved emotional baggage, reflecting a deep and personal connection to this painful history.
