Clothes collaborative

I had the lovely opportunity to work with Sam Fields and her team of textile of assistants with this installation/exhibit sponsored by Now+There’s Accelerator program. The work brought attention to fast fashion and the slowness that is undoing the damage that we are creating. Learning more about how our clothes are made, what they are made of and how to better care for them. Touching on some of the malpractice of the work: fair wage, environmental and social impacts and waste in high degrees.

One of my function as part of the team was setting up the shop, “performing” the slow and precise unraveling of donated clothes and labeling each cut from the garment. I was also able to participate in classes and free education. This taught me more about how clothes are made, what supports are needed for different types of garments and the most popular places for the production of clothes sold in the US.

I’m glad that people would stop in like it was a regular shop, say hi, ask questions and some people would ask about our scraps and other things we had going on like our weekly mending sessions where we taught people how to fix their clothes. One less expense and trip to the dry cleaners. We also did a clothing swap at the end of the project which was super fun! I got a few pieces for myself and some of my favorite scraps from my disassemblies.

The biggest thing this project taught me is the importance of knowing the process and how things are done, especially how they are made. I also learned a lot about myself and how thin is too thin to spread yourself. I was in college and working part time retail while also working on this project. It showed me how community feeds you (literally and spiritually) and how a network of people take care of one another. it would not have worked if the neighborhood had been against us setting up, it would not have worked if we were not a good team, didn’t communicate and learn to take care of one another. to work slowly with this group taught me so much about the importance of going slow and and taking my time instead of trying to speed though everything. That time was so pivotal for me in a lot of was so I will always be grateful to have participated

Paint box 2021

I never really talked about this but I DID A PUBLIC MURAL LAST SUMMER! This is my first project under my name for the city and I was super proud to work on it! I was hoping to meet some other artists in the area but I didn’t see many people out. Last time I worked on a paintbox project, I was assisting my friend Perla Mabel while watching another friend, Naija Nine work across the street. I did however meet someone from the committee who put the program together! In their Call to Artists, they featured me working on my box along with other completed projects. Got a good Twitter shout out too!

I worked on it quite early so I could finished before taking a few summer getaway trips. It took a total of 2 days. I was practically done the first day but stepping back, I wanted to add more dimension with the tones. Here’s what my original sketch looked like: close to the original but really just inspiration for what would occur once I started working.

These are the final images 😊 Much more vibrant and deep in the way that the waves pop! I also snuck a cute little heart in my design too! I made a little reel working on it here! If you are in the Savin Hill, Boston area, go check it out right next to the Harp + Bard Restaurant

If you visit, PLEASEEEE take pics! I would love to see you in the neighborhood 😊 but until then,

I’ll talk to y’all soon,

E

Gallery shows in the days of quarantine

I’ve had the privilege to be able to go to to the museum and go to exhibits for a few artist over the past couple weeks. One of which was The History of Right Now (aka THORN) by photographer OJ Slaughter. They have taken the time to document this important cultural moment with BLM Movement protests and continues to hit the streets. I was actually able to volunteer with them for the show and may I say, a lovely person, they should be protected at all costs. They set up at Windy Studios on a lovely Saturday afternoon and I greeted gallery visitors with sanitizer, a temperature check and stickies + a pen. This allowed for people to move one way through the gallery but still have the option to voice their opinions on the work. I had a great time not only bringing people in to see the work but to read some of the comments on the work after people came out of the exhibit to them grab a free postcard. It showed that their are ways to show art that are safe and clean even though I considered them to be before the pandemic.

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Okay so it’s been a month since and sadly this artist, doing their job documenting what is our current circumstance with the police in Boston and gets pepper sprayed. For me, it just solidifies the necessity for us to keep speaking and using our voices to the best of our ablities. We have to keep protecting each other, the time is now cause the future can’t wait. As much as it matters to sign petitions, hit the streets and protest, voting, for these who can, solidifies our voices on paper in the halls of where our country’s decsions are made.

Stay safe, wear a mask and find a little moment of Joy,

Erica