Emergency Working Artist Project Grant FY22

The individual porcelain Story Sculpture pieces I create equal $6/piece. I will create 300 pieces, for 2 art workshop for 10-12 women from First Ladies of Hillside to create wearable art that is relevant to their story as an artist and survivor. The 2 workshops will be run by me in October 2021. Individuals can, free-of-charge, create a necklace, earrings, or bracelet. They can create an item that otherwise would cost $80-120. Since May 2021, I have been creating and distributing art kits to this neighborhood on 4th Street, thru 2021 MSAB Funding, Creative Support for Individuals. Individuals have been creating and emailing photos of their work, which has proved an effective entry point into art when there are still pandemic restraints. In October, 2 "pop-up" workshops will be valuable art activity for these individuals who know my work, can now come create their own pieces of artwork, from completed porcelain pieces. My craft goes hand in hand with making positive deposits in my community. As I have been meeting with the First Ladies of Hillside, I have heard their stories. Many of them are interested in creating 3D art, as they also develop their own art forms (i.e., weaving, painting, illustration, resin work). I am a working artist, but I am also a teaching artist. This project is an idyllic marriage between the two. As I create porcelain work, these pieces will be designed into entirely new pieces of art, by the First Ladies, in 2 pop-up workshop opportunities. At that point, the work will be theirs-- and I am excited to see what my work will become, in the hands of these emerging artists. Finally, you can have confidence because this project is the next step in an ongoing partnership with this group; this proposal is part of that partnership, as I seek appropriate funding for their personal and professional artistic development. I will measure project goals by 1) whether or not I have created the porcelain supply and 2) run 2 pop-up art workshops for First Ladies of Hillside at the Damiano Center. I will use my own completed collections as examples, pieces/collections similar to documents in my work sample. I will create a survey for these free-of-charge pop-up workshops, to get feedback as to the relevance, originality and/or emotional response of the 3D art activity. I will also use this as valuable information as a partnering artist with First Ladies, consulting on future art education programming.