Where I Roll — Badass Cross Stitch

SUPER SAD EMERGENCY UPDATE:
I was hit by an impaired driver while making my way through Pennsylvania and my RV was totaled. I am currently residing in Hull, Massachusetts while I make my next plan.
It has been a massive trauma and profound financial blow but my work will not stop. I will sort this all out. I will keep the momentum going but it will definitely look different.
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Thank you all for your support.
Shannon

Who moves into an R.V. and hits the road in the middle of a pandemic while our democracy and society crumble? This girl!

I should start by saying I had been planning this adventure for over a year. I gave up my job, apartment, sold all of my things, and bought an RV. I had a plan. I had a map. I had hundreds of workshops, gatherings, events, shows, speaking engagements, and collabs lined up. It was going to be breakneck, filled with people, and awesome!

Then…Covid.

Talk about a fucking wrench. Everything was cancelled. Everything. But what is a girl to do? I’m nothing if not adaptable, so I moved into my RV with my pooches and we set out. I have learned A LOT since June 2020 - like how to re-plumb my rig, how to replace a capacitor, how to properly empty my black tanks (which I learned the hard way), which campsites are full of white supremacists, and most importantly how to adapt my work so that I can do it all virtually.

I am profoundly grateful for the technology we have at our disposal and I have been using it to teach workshops, do speaking engagements, host gatherings for makers and artists, and engage in craftivist projects with other badass art activists.

Many amazing humans have hosted me in their driveways as I travel. We have stitched and played music; they fed me and let me mooch wifi and power. Now that we are gathering in person again, I have been able to start to realize the original vision for this adventure and it’s wonderful to be in community again!

Want to plan, play, and support?

Take a look at the map/schedule and if you are in those areas or know folks who are - reach out. I’m looking for small businesses, organizations, groups of friends, guilds, community spaces, libraries, colleges, art galleries, etc. who would want to hook up with me to plan things.

These things can look like: community art events aligned with your mission/cause, stitch-ups, workshops, speaking engagements, community art making, craftivism projects, art shows, and really anything else we can come up with!

I’m also looking for driveways, land, or other flat spots to park the rig while I’m in town. Here’s a link to a google form to fill out if you have a spot for me.

My rig is 26’ long, 10.8’ tall, 8.5’ wide. Having access to an outdoor plug is invaluable. Wifi is a huge bonus. I’m self-contained and never have to come into your home (but if you invite me in for baked goods I’ll be there!)

Where I traveled:

Art I have with me.

These installations can be shown individually or as a full show.

The full show is titled Radical Acts. The show statement:

Warning: What you will see in this room are a series of radical acts. It is a radical act…to take up space when society has trained you to make yourself small, to spend time exploring your story and voice, to center yourself in your own narrative, to come together in community to discuss hard things, to make time to create art about yourself, to participate in something greater than oneself, to collaborate, to trust, to stand up and declare – this has value and it deserves to be completed and shared, to create space for other marginalized voices, to speak your truth, to ask for help, to respond to a request for help, to try something new, to learn something new. Thank you for being here. It is a radical act to support radical acts.

It’s Nice to Meet Me.

This installation is comprised of over 250 (and growing) 7” hoops.

This series is an exploration of self, a way to reflect and live a very real moment of vulnerability. A way to both appreciate the best and acknowledge the work.

It’s an amalgamation of my identities, ideals, values, thoughts, beliefs, truths, complexities, confessions, tensions, and conflicts. It’s a way to explore my understanding of self as compared to the perceptions that others hold of me. It’s a way for me to introduce myself to you. It’s a way for you to see our connection points and sameness. It’s a way for you to consider our differences.

These are ready to install with small command strips so there’s no wall damage.

Rita’s Quilt.

Rita’s Quilt and accompanying mini-quilt and ephemera exemplify the power of collaboration, the value of women’s art, and the use of social media for good.

The story of Rita’s Quilt will restore your faith in humanity.

I purchased an unfinished quilt at an estate sale and knew I had to complete it in honor of the original artist, Rita Smith, who had passed away at age 99. I also knew she could not do it on my own.

Thousands of people from around the world volunteered to help me. In the end, over 150 artists from North America came together to create the quilt you see here. It debuted at the National Quilt Museum this past March. Read up on the quilt here.

The quilt is 97” x 108” and has a pipe pocket for easy installation + display.