Sunrise in St. Croix
Chutes and Ladders Installation
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.
79 x 24 x 72 in
2022
Free Your Mind Installation
by Theda Sandiford
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
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…
Immersive Tag
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?
“Immersive Tag” Digital photo collage printed on polysheer. 120 x 60 in, 2015
Blackty Black Blankets
Protective zip tie blankets draped on two 8 foot antique library ladders.
I know you are tempted to touch…
Free Your Mind
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.
Purple Fiesta: Baggage Cart
‘PURPLE FIESTA: BAGGAGE CART’ by Theda Sandiford available through Ivy Brown Gallery.
Free Your Mind
Free Your Mind is a public textile art project aiming to collect, exhibit, embed and release personal narratives about Microaggressions in a multi-sensory installation facilitated by artist Theda Sandiford.
Microaggressions are subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — everyday interactions or behaviors that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative 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.
This project intends to expose these interactions and provide a release for the participating individuals. Participants are invited to write a story about a microaggression they have experienced onto a ribbon and tie this ribbon onto a netto release this story from their personal narrative. This is a story ribbon.
The installation evolves with each new story ribbon, keeping a public record of disempowering interactions, that can be exposed and talked about. Participants have the feeling of being seen and acknowledged while interacting with the work. In the installation space, as visitors move throughout the space, motion sensors trigger monotone computer voice recordings of story ribbons.
In 2021 Free Your Mind toured, collecting story ribbons in Bayonne NJ, Jersey City NJ, Sunsets @ The Standard, Miami Art Week. In 2022 the installation will travel to ExpoChicago April 4-7 Navy Pier and will make stops in Brooklyn and Newark this year.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Interested individuals, institutions and businesses can support the project by engaging themselves and/or communities to collect story ribbons
SHARE YOUR STORY >>
Share a story about a microaggression you have experienced? How did it make you feel?
PARTICIPATE >> ONLINE HERE
OR MAIL STORY RIBBONS>>
Using a Sharpie, in two sentences (100 words max.) write your story on a ribbon
Mail your story ribbon to…
Project Free Your Mind c/o Sky Garden Gallery, 150 Bay St. PH9 Jersey City NJ 07302
Anonymous story ribbons and the textile artwork containing them will be shared on Instagram and www.thedasandiford.com.
Follow @misstheda and @skygardengallery on Instagram to get updates on this project and see your story in the installation.
Black Ballerinas
‘Black Ballerinas’ by Theda Sandiford available through Ivy Brown Gallery.
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…
Recycle 2021
Exhibit On View: September 12 – October 17, 2021.
In-Person Opening Reception: Sunday, September 12, 2021, 12:00pm-6:00pm
On Location: 481 Van Brunt St Brooklyn, NY 11231
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. I can still smell , vivid memories of being punishing for not eating my food and being reminded of the starving children in Africa. A double whammy of eat and feel guilty about eating. I could go on and on…
FIF 2021: Future Is Female
On View: September 1, 2021 – September 30th, 2021
On Location: 175 Pearl St, 5th Fl Brooklyn NY
The 3rd annual Future is Female exhibit, curated by sk.Artspace, aims to shed light on black women visual artists who persevered and became activists through their personal choices. The exhibition will highlight women, like me who unapologetically live their lives through action, women who had no intention of being a person of influence, yet raised the bar to lead, even when no one was looking – the “Unsung Shereos.”
I have three emotional baggage carts in the show, including my very first, Caution Baggage Cart.
While working on my first shopping cart “Caution Baggage Cart” I was thinking about the people I had lost to Covid and the inability to properly mourn socially distant. I realized I was carrying a lot of emotional baggage related to fear of loss.
The cart needed some wheel repair and rust removal. Once sanded down, I spray painted the cart with gold and bronze paint left over from a previous project. The luscious gold wefts called to Caution tape that I had just foraged from the construction site across the street. I found just the right mix of fabric, paracord and yarns to complete the weave in my remnant stash.