Human Thread/Play Date with the Henderson.

Greetings All,

I have finished all the pieces for the exhibit at Human Thread and I no longer have any of the fabrics that where created from my Play-Date with the Henderson from 2009. Below is that final piece (Collaboration-IX-Jamal) and the poem that has inspired the exhibition/journey. The exhibiton will run from:

July 9th - August3rd, 2012

HumanThread Center Gallery

645 W. 18th Street

Chicago, IL 60616

Artist's Reception

2nd Friday Gallery Night

Friday, July 13, 2012

6 pm - 10 pm

For more information visit. http://www.humanthread.net/

We Too Are Chicago!
By Ramona Dallum Lindsey

Your Gold Coast is not our stomping ground
Oprah rarely visits our 'hood.
We're called Kendra, David, Hector, and Maria
We share the block with Phat Daddy and Lil' Mama
We're regulars on the Green, Red, and Pink Line,
Our train stops at neighborhoods like
Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Pilsen, and Little Village
We too are Chicago
We stare from bedroom windows at boarded up homes
And wonder about Travis, forced from the 'hood,
Because his people couldn't pay
We pass the teddy bear shrine dashing to catch the train
And wonder during our 60 minute ride to the better school
Who will be the next to die.
We gaze out the train window at homeys on the corner
And wonder how long Drop-outs will stand
Because no one cared enough to give them a chance.
We too are Chicago
Our parents work hard to give us the basics
It's no to the fancy dance lessons, art camps, & theater shows
Most of us leave school with nothing to do
We head home to empty houses
Where we lock ourselves in
But some of us take the dangerous detour
Straight to the pushers, bangers, and hustlers
We too are Chicago
We are more than you see
You see hopeless,
We see dreams!
You see lazy,
We see potential!
You see waste,
We see opportunity!
You see depressed,
We see achievers!
We too are Chicago
Copyright 2012

Human Thread Exhibit update.

Greetings All,
Here is another entry for the exhibit next month at Human Threads. This one was created with hand painted fabric form my Play-Date with the Henderson back in 2009 that was done by Jamal and the title is Collaboration-VII (Jamal). I also used some of my hand dyed cotton and some photos that I took around town. "We stare from bedroom windows at boarded up homes and wonder about Travis, forced from the 'hood because his people couldn't pay" - Ramona Lindsey. I chose this line because Jamal parents, another set of neighbors and myself all lost our homes during the same time. I never thought about how this makes a child feel until I read this line in Ramona's poem. I hope/pray wherever Jamal/family are that they are alright.

Piece of the Week and coming exhibit.

Greetings All,

I'm preparing for an exhibit next month at the Human Thread with Ramona Dallum Lindsey. The exhibit it titled "We Too Are Chicago" and inspired by a poem that was written by Ramona. The focus is on youth and because of that I chose to exhibit pieces that I collaborated with youth. Below is a piece from my series "The Collaboration Project" that started in 2009 the Jamal Henderson and sisters. Jamal painted the background and I appliqued and quilted the whole cloth piece.
"We gaze out the train window at homeys on the corner and wonder how long Drop-outs will stand because no one cared enough to give them a chance. We too are Chicago!" - Ramona Dallum Lindsey.

I have wondered why I chose certin lines from Ramona's poem and when I look at the piece/poem I ask myself. This line was choosen because I would see young men/women standing on corners as I would drive throughout the ciy just standing and I ask why? They have other choices, but why don't they choose them? Do they not see a future? Do they not have any hope?

Updates/Piece of the Week.

Greetings All,

I've updated stage-IV and add two other figures, I've assemble, bound, labeled and embellish. It's completed, packed and will be shipped tomorrow. I will post more later on this upcoming exhibit, but for now just enjoy the bits/pieces:>)

Road Trip

Greetings All,

This coming weekend I shall be at the 8th Annual Lake Meadows Art Fair, June 16th & 17th from 11 am until 8 pm. So if you are in the area stop by and say hello.

Below is the 5th stage in the piece that I've been working on for the past month. This is the final section and now I will assemble, bind, and embellish. I will post more later.

Pieces Of The Week.

Greetings All,

I have been busy this weekend completing tasks that were all over the place, but they are now finished. Below is the second piece in the series " The Shadow of a Man". I was gifted the background fabric that was hand painted and the sun was some fabric that I dyed in the microwave in a zip lock bag and no I do not cook in that microwave. I love the feeling of this piece/series and the feeling that less was more.

I also completed a pantsuit(below) for a friend's granddaughter. The friend gave me the Kente print and I matched fabrics from my stash to come up with this very colorful 2 pcs. I love it and so dose grandma. Now I'm off to finish a skyscape for my son and you do know that I will post when I'm finish. Enjoy my eye-candy;>)

We Two Chicago - exhibit

Greetings All,

Next month I will participate in a group show with Ramona Dallum Lindsey at the Human Thread Gallery in Chicago. The focus of the exhibit will be on youth and my pieces were inspired by a poem written by Ramona. Below is the first in a series of three that I plan to exhibit in "We Two Chicago".

The line in the poem reads as; "We're regulars on the Green, Red and Pink Line, our train stops at neighborhoods like Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Pilsen, and Little Village. We too are Chicago". The background fabric was created by creating a collage of photos that were taken by Patric McCoy of Diasporal Rhythms and myself. The photos were changed into a sepia tone to represent the black, brown, and tan youth that I see throughout these communities mention in the poem. The collage was printed onto June Tailor photo transfer color-fast fabric and pieced once a map of the Chicago Transit Authority was imposed over it.

I shall embellish this piece with buttons that were given to me from Patric's mother stash of sewing supplies and the buttons are yellow in color which represent enlightenment and the wheels on the trains. The black/white stripes represent the tracks of the trains and this is a collaboration of love because it involves on of my dearest friends/mentor and treasures from his beloved mother.

HumanThread Center for Peace, Arts & Education is a 501(c)(3) NPO that engages individuals in conversation about peace, non-violence and human dignity through art, education and discussion. The Center /Gallery offers public space and programs to the general community. A major part of our efforts also target the south and west side area Chicago youth, a population that faces poverty, violence and low educational attainment due to diachronic neglect.

Piece of the Week

Greetings All,

Here is my latest "Piece of the Week" (stage-IV) and I'm still not sure if I'm finish. I feel that I have too much blank space. We shall see and you know that I will post more later. The porter is rocking/rolling, but he's still holding on to the tray.