Yes! Installation Day for “Gettysburg in 2016” at Half Moon Bay Library

Here’s to stretching beyond our comfort zones.

This morning I installed the pieces of my exhibit at Half Moon Bay Library for my “Gettysburg in 2016” show. This involved several firsts for me.

  1. I have never worked on this large a scale (36 inches by 72 inches) before.
  2. I have never used fabric and yarn in my work before.
  3. I have never hung a fabric work from the ceiling before.
  4. I have never exhibited pages from my sketchbook on a wall before.
  5. I have never tried making giclee prints of my sketchbook pages and mounting them on panels for wall hanging.
  6. I have never tried an interactive art piece using fabric before.

I am making this list mostly to remind myself to celebrate today. Everything looks beautiful! I finished installing in about three hours. I managed to use a ten-foot ladder safely.

And bonus: I got to see a class of fifth graders see my Elliott Map textile and yarn piece and interact with it. I love how they revered it, wondering, looking, and thinking before anyone explained what it was. Beauty will do that. Fascination is a powerful learning tool.

As I watched how many of the girls in the class were checking out graphic novels and illustrated books, I came up with the idea of doing an illustrated journal workshop for the kids who come to the library after school. This will happen on December 12, at 3:30pm. I can’t wait to see what they remember before 10am each day!

Two textile pieces installed above reception table at Half Moon Bay Library
Two textile pieces installed above reception table at Half Moon Bay Library
The piece on the right will be an interactive piece, with viewers invited to write on fabric squares, which will be stitched onto the work, entitled, "Unfinished Work".
The piece on the right, entitled “Unfinished Work”, will be an interactive piece, with viewers invited to write on fabric squares, which will be stitched onto the work.

I am particularly excited about the interactive piece entitled, “Unfinished Work”, which features an excerpt from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, with space on the muslin for attaching additional painted fabric squares. The public will be invited to respond to the quote, by reflecting on the questions, “What is the ‘great task’ before you right now?” and “What is the unfinished work you now dedicate yourself to?”. Viewers can write their own answers on a square, and leave it to be stitched onto the “community quilt” at the end of the installation.

There are a few more details to add to the installation between now and Sunday, November 13, at 4:00, when I give my artist talk and opening reception.

For now, I’m celebrating today’s firsts!

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