I’ve been tickled pink by the reception of Blackty Black Blanket has been getting.
It was selected to appear in Surface Design Journal’s Seventh Annual International Exhibition in Print: The Fusion of Fiber Arts, Fashion & Design is month.
And was also juried into Fiber Art Now’s eighth annual Excellence In Fibers exhibition.
Juror Kate Irvin, Curator and Department Head, Costume and Textiles at the Rhode Island School of Art Museum reviewed 1300 artworks and selected Blackty Black Blanket for the winter issue of Fiber Art Now to be released in January 2023. The work is also eligible for the onsite exhibition at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, August 23, 2023 through January 4, 2024.
None of this would be possible without the stellar photos of my work by April Tracy. Thank you April for elevating my vision.
I’ve been stringing bottle cap pearls on cider six packs with polyurethane twine since last year but finally got around to making the hanging structures to this summer.
Free Your Mind is a collection of personal narratives. Participants are invited to share a personal experience with implicit bias to release this story from their personal narrative.
Later, your story will be transform from text into speech and incorporated into the next iteration of the installation
The exhibition casts a wide net and captures an impressive variety of interpretations on the ever-present artistic motif, offering the audience a rare treasure trove of old and new takes on the creative confessional that is the self-portrait.
Curated by Juno Zago Exhibition Dates: June 25th – August 5th, 2022 Opening Reception – June 25th, 6-9pm Location: Gallery Aferro Main Gallery, 73 Market St, Newark, NJ
“Camouflage Pink” Mixed Media Fiber 100’x 1/2″ 2019Camouflage Pink Detail
Despite a growing commitment to racial equity, the day-to-day experiences of women of color are not improving. Women of color face similar types and frequencies of disrespectful and “othering” behavior as they did two years ago before the Black Lives Matter movement galvanized worldwide.
Most days, I feel like I am scrambling to the top of Chutes and Ladders’, board game. For each step forward, take two steps back. Land on good deeds of allyship to climb ladders, but watch out for the haters, their passive aggressive chutes are a doozy and will send you tumbling down the ladder, to start the climb all over, again.
On view at Art150 studio #231, 2nd floor 150 Bay Street. Enter at 1st Street and Provost and ride the elevator up to the 2nd floor. My studio is on the Bay Street side of the building.
Chutes and Ladders is on display though the end of June and is a featured event for JCFridays Friday June 3rd from 6:00-9:00pm.
Chutes and Ladders
Vintage Gi Joe action figures, black metallic yarn, handmade eyelash yarn, black and brown cotton/rayon poly blend fabric, African printed fabric, vintage African fabric wrapped on recycled polyurethane spliced jungle gym rope netting.
Free Your Mind is a textile public art installation aiming to collect, embed and release personal narratives about Microaggressions.
Microaggressions are subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — everyday interactions or behaviors that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial messages or assumptions toward historically marginalized groups.
The weight of these daily interactions underpins very real consequences… stress, anger, frustration, self-doubt and ultimately feelings of powerlessness and invisibility.
Free Your Mind intends to expose these interactions and provide a release for the participating individuals. Participants have the feeling of being seen and acknowledged while interacting with the installation.
The installation evolves with each new ribbon, keeping a public record of disempowering interactions, that can be exposed and addressed.
Last year, Free Your Mind toured, collecting story ribbons in Bayonne NJ, Jersey City NJ, and during Miami Art Week. This summer at Governors Island, Free Your mind is documenting your story.
#freeyourmindart
Free Your Mind
You Are So Articulate
In this weaving, each piece of yarn is representative of a conversation where I was acknowledged for being able to express my thoughts and ideas. Being told I’m well-spoken often comes off as a backhanded compliment. It carries problematic connotations that, it is unusual for someone of my race to be intelligent or eloquent.
The completed weaving is displayed on a DYI loom, as if the work is still in progress because some version of this conversation, continues still…
The assignment… collage one iPhone photo, to pass the time while riding NJ Transit 123 bus from Union City NJ to NYC the summer of 2015.
Have you ever had someone put their hands in your hair without asking first?
This was a regular occurrence for me while riding the bus or subway… before the Pandemic. This is not ok. Please don’t pet me like a dog because my hair fascinates you.
Today, I rarely use public transportation and work mostly from home. I wonder, has social distancing caused a shift in this behavior?
First woven layer on these two mannequins is complete. I’m working on a zip tie tunic for the floor model and rummaging through broken jewelry to sew onto the forms.
Free Your Mind is a collection of personal narratives. You are invited to share an personal experience with implicit bias to release this story from your personal narrative.
Later, I will weave your stories into the installation as a computer generated voice recording. Motion sensors will trigger recordings when visitors interact with the installation.
