Join us for a one-hour panel discussion on the complicated intersection of craftivism and capitalism.
This is the second in a new quarterly event series presented by: Be Seen Project + Badass Cross Stitch
This event is hosted by the Modern Quilt Guild
June 10th at 7pm ET / 6pm CT
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Panelist Include:
Lisa Woolfork is the founder/convener of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast centering Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. A fierce advocate for Black freedom, Lisa’s creative life as a maker and intellectual work as an academic frequently cross paths on her journey of liberation.
Mindy's work is at the intersection of creativity, identity, belonging and social justice. She’s an artist, activist, and founder of the Be Seen Project - a grassroots initiative resourcing BIPOC artists centering marginalized voices for cultural change. A Korean American adoptee and queer intersectional feminist, she is also a life-long devotee to the underdog.
Melissa Blount is a Detroit born artist and licensed clinical psychologist. She creates textile art that explores the trauma of white supremacy, culture and interpersonal violence. Through community sewing circles she cultivates unique opportunities for people to bear witness to the unjust and violent loss of life in communities of color. Dr. Blount has hosted community sewing circles at Northwestern’s Block Museum, Chicago’s Colvin House and local Evanston art gallery, 1100 Florence.
Rachel Wallis is a community taught crafter, artist, and activist. Her work focuses on collaborative community quilting projects addressing issues of race and social justice. Past projects have included Gone But Not Forgotten, a memorial quilt for individuals killed by the Chicago Police Department, and Inheritance: Quilting Across Prison Walls, a project using quilts to help rebuild relationships divided by incarceration. She is currently the artist in residence at Project Nia.
Virginia B Johnson (she/her) was born in the Philippines to a Filipina-Chinese nurse and a career Navy chief petty officer. They decided to raise their children in the United States when Virginia, the oldest of three, was ready to start kindergarten. They lived all over the country but never the Northeast which is where Virginia eventually put down roots, and has lived and created for the last 20 years. When not designing costumes, Virginia explores the intersection of feminism and craft. Virginia opened a fabric and fibers studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gather here, in 2011 where people can learn to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, and quilt.