Trans* Identity and Activism in Our Community

MFA Student

Major: Sculpture

Graduation Year: 2019

Artist Statement:

Generosity exists in listening, in telling a story, in giving someone your time, your energy, in teaching, in conversing, and creating space, temporally and spatially. Generosity catalyzes social change, stimulates healing, and opens the door to communicate something about the human condition; that we need one another.

The generosity that is present within the legacy of socially engaged art practices has exemplified the transformative power of art. Engaging participants through making, my socially collaborative projects combine performance, community building, dialogue, and activism, which initiate creative problem solving. My projects are socially collaborative, take into account the social, political, and socioeconomic contexts of a site, and are created in conjunction with the community.

Part of the lineage of quilting, my ongoing project, Trans* Identity and Activism in Our Community, is a community quilt which raises awareness about transgender issues and experiences. The physical pieced quilt, and its installation, conveys that when communities come together, changing the current social and political climates becomes possible. The most important aspect of the work lies within the amalgamation of moments, ideas, and exchanges. Additionally, these works illustrate that healing exists in the interstices of generous contextual practice projects and as author Sean McNiff says, “the experiences of people everywhere affirm that art heals.”