Summer 2021 Gallery Showcase - A New 7-Week Program

This summer, we built a workshop to give space for reflection and exploration of the themes of the time. Our sessions built on past skills with projects embodying adapting to change, deepening spirituality, and cultivating introspection. We invited members to look around their environments and look at everyday scenery from a new angle. Participants continue to bring an ever-renewing energy to sessions and support each other.

We began the cycle with an exercise to question “What makes me feel grounded?” Safety is an ever-present component of all of our lives. We invited participants to consider their many types of safety, and how they can begin this workshop cycle feeling safe to be expressive. This was manifested through a mandala using grounding elements in members’ space. Participants also set their intentions for the workshop cycle.

While our art has “no rules,” it can be helpful to use famous works to consider how we can emulate their mission. Members dipped their toes into the world of color theory and painting technique as a tool to convey a feeling to their audience. We kept on our art-historian hats to paint to convey the mood we feel today.

We are able to fearlessly create when we begin to feel more confident in what we want to share as an artist. In this next session, members were invited to “weave” pieces of their identity together and explore when all of their parts can coalesce as one.

How does “who we are” intersect with our environment? Members then explored when and where they feel most safe in the world through the creation of their ideal “naturescape”. Members reminisced about safe spaces from childhood, to places that they visit in their dreams. We invite them to consider, how can we integrate this space into our lives, mentally or in reality?

How else can self-expression look? Sometimes art isn't the best medium to share how we feel, and sometimes it's a mix of many! Guest teacher Alana Saab led a creative writing workshop on the theme of “the story of your life” which helped participants develop skills in expressive journaling and poetry. Following the completion of our works, guest artist Tara Evonne Trudell invited participants to take their writing a step further. We wrapped our words into beads that we can keep with us throughout the day as reminders of who we are and want to be.

In transitioning to close our abbreviated time together, we turned to thinking about how to preserve nature and the things we hold dear. Guest teacher Rebecca taught participants how to use epoxy resin to make flora, beads, food, and photos into pendants.

We ended the session by inviting a synthesis of ideas and techniques learned from the cycle to incorporate into a macrame dream catcher. Participants were invited to reflect on what they want to “catch” in their web and what they want to invite to hold space in their good dreams. Participants were invited to embellish their dreamcatchers by adding their newly-made resin and paper beads.

While we gear up for our next full cycle, we are honored to collaborate with Saori Arts Foundation in leading a new sustainable weaving workshop series.

Keep your eye out for more info and dazzling designs from our endlessly curious participants this coming Fall!

With love,

here there and EVERYwhere