Free Your Mind from Microaggressions

“Free Your Mind” is a cascade of story ribbons tied to fishing nets draped upon the wall like a blanket. Visitors are invited to share written statements about experienced microaggression on a “story” ribbon which I will weave into the “Free Your Mind” blanket. Infusing the essence and yarn of each participant into the social fabric of a protective blanket.

Free Your Mind Public Art Installation

Exhibition Dates: May 7, – August 27, 2022. On view for the public Thursday  through Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00PM.

Location: ArtCrawl Harlem @ Governors Island, 406b Colonels Row

Theda In Residence: June 11, June 25, July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 20 from 11a – 2pm.

June Exhibitions

Chutes and Ladders Installation

JC Friday June 3, 6:00-9:00pm

Location: Art 150, window of studio #231. 150 Bay Street.

Enter at Provost and First Street and ride the elevator to the 2nd floor. Studio # 231

Free Your Mind: Public Art Installation @ Art Crawl Harlem/ Governors Island

Exhibition Dates: through August 2022

Live Art: June 11, June 25, July 2, July 16 from 11a – 2pm.

Location: Governors Island, Art Crawl Harlem 406b Colonels Row

2022 New Jersey Arts Annual: Reemergence exhibition.

Exhibition Preview Reception: Thursday, June 23, 2022 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Exhibition On View: June 18, 2022 – April 30, 2023

Museum Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 9am to 4:45pm; Closed Mondays & all State Holidays

Location: New Jersey State Museum; 205 West State Street Trenton NJ

Tell Me More About Yourself (Self-Portraits and other Autobiographical Endeavors)

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 6:00-9:00pm

Exhibition Dates: June 25, 2022 – August 5, 2022

Location: Gallery Aferro, 73 Market St, Newark, NJ

Public Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 12:00-6:00pm

Sculpture Walk Springfield 2022-2023

Exhibition Dates: Now through May 21, 2023

Location: 411 N. Sherman Parkway, Springfield MO

Closing this Month

Theda Sandiford’s: Joyful Resistance closes June 4, 2022 atThe Center for Contemporary Art; 2020 Burnt Mills Rd, Bedminster, NJ.

Future Perfect/Imperfect: The Next Century closes June 9 at Silvermine Gallery: 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan, CT.  Gallery Hours: Tuesday- Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm

Welcome to Governors Island

ArtCrawl Harlem 2022

ArtCrawl Harlem along with other local arts and culture programs returns to Governors Island to offer programs and residencies within the historical homes on Nolan Park and Colonels Row as well as welcome the public in for art exhibits, open studios, art talks and more.

This Summer, I am presenting “Free Your Mind” and “Personal Baggage” two Interactive Art Installations as part of ArtCrawl Harlem’s House at 406B Colonels Row, Governors Island, NYC. On view for the public Friday through Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00PM.

You are invited to work with me on an Emotional Baggage Cart in progress on Governors Island on these dates June 11, June 25, July 2, July 16, August 6 and August 20 from 11:00am – 2:00pm on each day.

Please DM me if you plan to come.

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.

Share your Story here

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.

Free Your Mind
Free Your Mind – detail of Story Ribbons

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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.

February Exhibitions/Up Next

Visions & Voices

I have been invited to show three works in The Biggs Museum of American Art’s juried exhibition, Visions & Voices highlighting the work of twenty regional African American artists of the Mid-Atlantic region.

Location: The Biggs Museum of American Art, 406 Federal St Dover DE 19901

Opening Reception: Friday, February 4, 5 – 8 PM

Pre-registration is free and strongly encouraged. Get your tickets HERE

Exhibition Dates: February 4, 2022 – May 21, 2022

Free Your Mind: Social Justice Public Art Installation

Free Your Mind is a collection of personal narratives. Participants are invited to share an personal experience with implicit bias to release this story from their personal narrative. Later, artist Theda Sandiford will weave these stories in the installations as computer generated voice recordings.  Motion sensors trigger these recording in the installation of the tapestry.

Share your Story here

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DJnPSUHid5xcthrbRXDLcP50tLUa0pf8l_cgSaXL5qw/edit

JC Friday Art Supply Swap

Do you have left over materials from an art project? Have WAY too much Cadmium White when you need Pastels? Do you have skeins of yarn you are not using? Or supplies from an art practice you no longer use?

Come to Sky Garden Gallery’s Art Supply Swap with your items and trade, them for something else.

March 4, 2022, 5pm – 8pm
Location: 150 Bay Street, Jersey City

Summit Public Art: The Baggage We Carry

Public Art Installation On View:  May 2021 – May 2022

Location: Summit Village Green, 356 Broad Street Summit, NJ 

Three Emotional Baggage Carts are on display for the next year. When the sun sets, the carts solarl panels light up and take on a new form, glowing from within.

Miami Sunset

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.

Free Your Mind

Write a statement about implicit bias or a microaggression you have experienced and release this story from your personal narrative.

I will print your story on a ribbon, infusing your essence into the social fabric of a protective blanket.