Conceptual Materials Social Practice Artist
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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
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.
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.
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.
