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Fall 2017 Newsletter
(October, November, December)
Greetings All!
It's Fall!!!! My favorite time of year. Yeah, they say good writing should never start out with the weather or the seasons. But today, I do not care. I love the leaves and cool nights with crisp air. Last night was our first day where the temperatures dropped into the teens. This morning it was Autumn wonderland as every single tree on my block, even the stubborn hold outs, dropped every single leaf. The streets were MAGNIFICENT covered in blankets of greens and golds and reds. I foresee a weekend full of leaf diving and swimming through piles of this most beloved of autumn's bounty. Hot cider anyone?
Fall 2017 has continued to be both productive and awe inspiring. Quilts from The Lynch Quilts Project are on exhibition in 2 separate locations (Toronto and Indianapolis). In addition, the entire compliment of completed quilts (I, II, III and IV) will go on display in Indianapolis from January 29 - April 1, 2018 at Central Library as part of Meet the Artists XXX. If you will recall, this is the same location where we had the difficult community dialogues to begin with back in 2014. So, here we go again. If you feel you can make it to Indy during that time or to assist with the public conversations, please reach out to me. In the meantime, take a look at the news account of the debut of the quilt at the library. This event resulted in Her Name was Laura Nelson to be featured in Essence Magazine that year as a Top 10 Things We are Talking About.
After more than 8 years of starts and stops, Quilt III, A Partial Listing, is TOTALLY and UTTERLY COMPLETED, COMPLETED, COMPLETED!!! All the quilting is done, the binding has been added and the two separate sleeves incorporated to allow it to hang either vertical or horizontal depending on the exhibition space. See photos below.
Again, a big shout to Master Quilter Ruth Edwards who worked and worked and worked to make this happen. At the start of the final phase of quilting, we had to take stitches out to readjust the design. Despite that slight set back (she didn't tell me until afterwards to prevent another mental flake out on my end. Lol!), it was completed. To all that have contributed, I am humbled and say thank you with gratitude. Art and life in general is always made better when all of our hands and voices and desire for healing come together into this one place.
Since January 2017, I've been working on a complimentary series that was created for the exhibit, Keeper of My Mothers' Dreams, which debuted on Friday, November 3rd at the Tube Art Factory in Indianapolis, IN. Checkout the article Artists Tackle Slavery, Lynching, And Sexual Violence In New Exhibit to learn more about the work. We'll have a full video of the entire interview in upcoming weeks for you to peruse.
Quilt I, Her Name is Laura Nelson is also in this exhibit and sits in dialogue with the piece Be/Coming from the Masquerade Americana Series. Together with the new cast metal works Origin and Sister Song, these pieces explore the complexity of Black /African women's journey in the "new world." Sister Song is an installation containing 8 pieces that were co-created in collaboration with other women to explore this complex history. Poet, community healer and ancestral priestess M. Eliza Hamilton Abegunde also created new poetry for the entire exhibit. Thanks to the Sister Song co-creators: Tysha N. Ahmad, Phyllis Viola Boyd, Monica Johnson, Marilyn Michele Kunkle, Breon Tyler, Afriye We-kandodis and Trish Williams.
Thanks to Shauta Marsh, curator at Big Car, that secured funding for the creation of the piece Origin and the exhibition as a whole and to Alan Mills for sponsoring the exhibit. Although the initial funding was for Origin, from the exploration of this topic, two additional art pieces were birthed beyond Sister Song and the poetry.
These two additional works are grounded in the idea "to make Laura Nelson live." To speak her story into the world, to reclaim her life beyond the cloth and historical records that have been left behind of which we know must be viewed with a grain of salt. Artist and performer Afriye We-kandodis will create a performance piece and music about Ms. Laura Nelson. We'll also be coming together as a community to create a new set of clothing for Ms. Laura Nelson. As Navajo / Dine quilter Susan Hudson said about her own work - sometimes the final witness to a woman's life is the clothing she has worn upon entering her death. Thank you Susan for planting that idea into my head as it became the seed and Afriye's demand "to make Laura live" became the fertilizer to move the work into a new level. Click above to see the article from Summer 2017 about Susan Hudson and me.
I also would like to point you all to the work of Gay Presley. She's been doing hardcore research around Ms. Laura's and her 12-year old son, L.D. / Lawrence's, murders for years. Take a look at the article Fact Finding presented in Transitions Journal where she discusses her journey. Keep in mind that that fateful day on May 25, 1911 in Okema, OK, Laura Nelson died with her son. The two smaller children (a 2 year old named Carrie and an infant) have disappeared from history. So, I take ownership of this and say that day I truly believe 4 people died - 1 woman and 3 children.
With that said, below is the Laura Nelson Speaks written by M. Eliza Hamilton Abegunde for this exhibit and to forever compliment Quilt I, Her Name was Laura Nelson. Finally, Quilt II, RedRum Summer 1919 has taken a trip up north to the suburbs of Toronto to visit with our northern brethren. We've started dialogues with Canadian artists about what does this history of race, migration and enslavement mean. For more than 100 years Canada was sanctuary for many Black / Africans of the United States fleeing enslavement, then Jim Crow. It has now again become a sanctuary for those fearful of the immigration policies and rhetoric being spewed in these here United States. The cycle of love-hate, oppression-resistance is churning anew as everything old is made new again.
To end on a note which is at the foundation of all the reasons I do this work – the next generation – take a look at this blog post we wrote about our work here in Indianapolis to reclaim our streets through art, Safe Streets Are Possible.
On that note . . .
Ase! Ase! Ase!
So be it!
So be it!
So be it!
With gratitude to all,
LaShawnda
Master Quilter Ruth Edwards showing off her handiwork at the completion of Quilt III, A Partial Listing.
NEXT QUILT STEPS!
Now that Quilt III is off in the world (WHEW!) and will be on exhibit for the first time in January 2018, Quilt V, The Making Quilt has come center stage to move into maximum overdrive production! We need your words, prayers and symbols for power and healing (email me these) to incorporate into the stitching of the quilt. In addition, we can accept indigo, charcoal, pink fabrics for the quilt.
Quilt VII, The Ties That Bind:
- Donate Fabric: yellows, golds, oranges, reds, blacks and browns.
- Sewing Fabric: Sew fabric strips of yellow and gold for the background. Send me your address via email and I'll send you fabric, or simply cut up and start sewing strips with the fabric strips sizes of your own choosing.
- Brainstorm: Send symbols, words, objects that represent healing and justice to you that will be incorporated into the quilts, as well as the aspects of the complex history.
I know some of you have contacted me already. After a small mental vacay, we'll be jumping into action around January and February 2018.
Mock-up of Quilt VII: The Ties that Bind (c) 2013
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Over the next few months we have many, many new directions for having discussions and exhibitions of the quilts, as well as will working on bringing Quilt V to closure and moving Quilt VII in the coming weeks. As of the printing of this newsletter, we've connected this year with more 700 youth 10-18 years and over 2,500 people. We've presented at a high school year end celebration, as well as a youth art camp focusing on social justice. One of the students at the camp quick "sketched" this painting during the presentation. She said I moved to much and wouldn't sit still.
Some dates and locations to start keeping track of include the following:
Sept. 1, 2017 - Jan. 12, 2018
Thread and a Story
Museums of Mississauga
Bradley Museum
1620 Orr Road
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada
Nov. 3 - 24, 2017 - Jan. 21, 2017
Ivy Tech Fine Art & Design Faculty Exhibition
Gallery 924
924 N. Pennsylvania St
Indianapolis, IN
- Opening Reception
Nov. 3, 2017 @ 6-9 pm
Nov. 3, 2017 - Jan. 21, 2018
Keeper of My Mothers' Dreams
Tube Factory
1125 Cruft Street
Indianapolis, IN 46203
- Opening Reception
Nov. 3, 2017 @ 6-10 pm
Jan. 30 - April 1, 2018
Meet the Artists XXX
40 E St Clair St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Opening Reception: Feb. 10, 2018 @ 6-10 pm
Yeah . . . we must be stone cold crazy then!
MUST SEE ARTICLES & MEMES
Here are a couple of articles and videos that I feel are a MUST SEE from my Facebook Page. I'll list no more than 5 each month.
Articles
Tess Asplund, with Fist Raised Against the Leadership of The Nordic Resistance Movement (Nrm). (Twitter/David Lagerlöf). Click here to learn more about her simple, but powerful stand against injustice and hate.
RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED
As we continue to do our work in the world, here are some additional articles and resources to assist us in having these conversations.
First, I will direct you here to The Lynch Quilts Project website, which has a list of organizational resources to help you get ready.
Second, I direct you to the site #CharlestonSyllabus, which has resulted in a nearly 20 page bibliography of articles, books, research, etc. that explore race in America. In addition, you can click here to purchase the book (Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism and Racial Violence), which is a condensed version of the on-line syllabus.
Finally, below are a series of articles that explore these issues that have become more focused on the national spotlight in regards
History
Understanding the past persecution of black Americans is crucial to understanding the racism that pervades the country today.
Artivist Work
Insight, Violence and Resistance
We must continue to be the light!
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PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT
Here is where we stand so far with the quilts. We'll be focusing on Quilt V and Quilt VII for the next few months. As well, figuring out which of the other quilts make sense to "officially" get started.
I say official because that is when my focus will shift directly and primarily here. If you are interested in working on any of the quilts just contact me and I can tell you where we are specifically on a particular quilt and how you can participate. Unless the quilt says "complete," there is an opportunity to participate. In the mean time, click here to checkout how to help get things started for the various quilts.
- Quilt I: Her Name was Laura Nelson, Completed May 2004
- Quilt II: RedRum Summer 1919, Completed July 2014
- Quilt III: A Partial Listing, Completed July 2017
- Quilt IV: Failed State (TBD), Completed November 2016
- Quilt V: The Making Quilt, actively in progress, ETA Summer 2018
- Quilt VI: Memoria: In Progress, On-going process, 2010-present
- Quilt VII: The Ties that Bind, actively in progress
- Quilt VIII: All Around the World the Same Song, start up Summer 2017
- Quilts IX: Angels in America / Boyhood in Red, White and Blue, a very sensitive quilt, we are working directly with victims of violence and their families to ensure we are honoring them.
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SPECIAL THANKS
The Lynch Quilts Project is also supported in part by grants from The Indiana Arts Commission, The Puffin Foundation, Creative Renewal Grant from The Arts Council of Indianapolis and of course ALL OF YOU!!!
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Creative Power for Social Change!
Fighting for a racially healed and just future, since 2002.
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