Brayham Contemporary Art

The Heidelberg Project: Art as Inspiration and Regeneration

2011-02-20T15:54:00.032-05:00

The last time we spent any time in Detroit was during the summer of 2004. We had flown out a month or so earlier and were back to decide if we really wanted to move here. As my husband was in meetings and negotiating for a job he eventually decided not to take, I spent my time driving and wandering around the city.

Downtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

I was used to a level of urban grittiness, as we were living in a loft in Gastown adjacent to Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. However, I was surprised to find that Downtown Detroit was a virtual urban ghost town. At mid-day there was hardly a person or car on the road. The once magnificent architectural gems were mostly boarded up or occasionally claimed by what appeared to be non-conforming live / work artist space.

Downtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

While I found the stock of art deco skyscrapers impressive, for some reason I was most drawn to the burnt out and crumbling Queen Ann red brick mansions in Midtown close to the Wayne State University Campus. Block after block of these stately old homes stood waiting.....

Abandoned Building

Midtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

Waiting for what I was not sure. There was absolutely no sign of activity. They were not being redeveloped, or torn down and they appeared to be beyond habitable for squatters. Attempts of structural support were decaying and barricade fences were falling or had been pulled down. I took dozens and dozens of photos as I drove around what once was a thriving neighbourhood.

Abandoned Building

Midtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

I discovered the stunning red sandstone First Presbyterian Church on Woodward Ave. Built in 1889 it now houses the Ecumenical Theological Seminary. I remember speaking with the caretaker who came out to chat as I took photos. When I asked him about the neighbhourhood and why these once beautiful homes were just left abandoned. He asked me where I was from, figuring that I was obviously not from around here. He sighed, continuing that he wished that more people would come down and take an interest in the area but sounded hopeful that Wayne State University was starting to redevelop and restore the area.

First Presbyterian Church

Woodward Ave

Midtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

While the area around Eastern Market was busy and showed signs of redevelopment, many of the other areas adjacent to downtown Detroit were abandoned or near abandoned. Having lived in the United States for over twelve years we had visited a number of major and mid-sized American cities, however it was here in Detroit that the notion of "white-flight" was immediately apparent.

Butcher's Inn

Eastern Market

Detroit, MI

July 2004

As I drove through the neighbourhoods surrounding downtown I was saddened by the crumbling ruins that were everywhere. I wondered how do we get to the point where we just let our cities crumble apart? What about our history, our heritage? How can we just turn our backs on these buildings and homes that contained remnants of lives, stories and histories?

Abandoned Building

Detroit, MI

July 2004

We did not end up moving to Detroit, and instead relocated to Toronto. There is a part of me that has always regretted this. I feel that Detroit is a city that needs people. It just seems to be the kind of place where you can make a difference, where your efforts just may get noticed. Even then amongst the ruins I felt a sense of creative energy simmering somewhere. I knew it existed in institutions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the still vibrant music scene, however, I had not yet discovered the numerous other projects and initiatives both big and small that were happening in and around Detroit.

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

I first read about The Heidelberg Project in Metropolis Magazine shortly after moving to Toronto. And then kept noticing articles or mentions of the project in Metropolis, The Globe & Mail, The National Post and popping up various places on the web. However, we have not made it back to Detroit until Christmas morning when we were driving back home from a brief vacation / research trip to New Orleans.

Dotty Wotty House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project was started in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. Guyton grew up on Heidelberg Street when it was a diverse working class neighbourhood, however when he returned in 1986 he discovered a neighbourhood that was virtually abandoned and whose spirit had been broken by racism, drugs, violence, dispair and poverty. Angered by the loss of three brothers to the streets, Guyton was encouraged by his grandfather Sam Mackey to pick up a paintbrush instead of a weapon and look for a new solution.

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Guyton with the help of his grandfather, friends and neighbourhood children began to clean up the vacant lots on Heidelberg Street. Using a paintbrush and broom together with the refuse they collected they transfigured the street into a massive art installation integrating the street, sidewalk, trees, homes and lots. As stated on The Heidelberg Project website: "vacant lots became lots of art and abandoned houses became gigantic art sculptures."

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Two years later, in 1988, supporters helped organize Guyton's effort and The Heidelberg Project was officially incorporated as a community based non-profit organization. The mission of the organization is "to inspire people to appreciate and use artistic expression to enrich and improve their lives, and to improve the social and economic health of the greater community. We envision residents using art to rebuild the structure and fabric of under-resourced communities and creating a way of living that is economically viable, enriches lives, and welcomes all people."

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Public art projects are often the subject of controversy and The Heidelberg Project has been no exception. The project was demolished twice first in 1991 and again in 1999. However, walking along Heidelberg Street in late 2o10, this project is not only a creative response to ongoing blight and decay, but also a testament to perseverance and in taking a stand for positive change and belief in your community.

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Tyree Guyton is quoted as saying, "We are all the faces of God. He said he made us in his image and his likeness .... and that says to me that God has a lot of faces." Guyton's The Faces of God, or Faces in the Hood line the streets and fill the empty lots along Heidelberg Street. They are a poignant reminder that communities are made up of individuals who bring their different backgrounds, ideas and perspectives together contributing to the greater good.

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

There was something uplifting about seeing all these giant smiling faces painted on car hoods and large pieces of wood. Even though the street was quiet on this snowy Christmas morning they made it feel alive.

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Faces of God / Faces in the Hood

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

There were a number of themes that ran through The Heidelberg Project: shoes, taxis, stuffed animals, polka dots, numbers, giant faces. The Faces of God / Faces in the Hood series were like the individuals that held this community together, however, shoe imagery also appeared prominently.

Shoes

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Shoes

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Shoes

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Number House is designed to draw our attention to the powerful place that numbers play in our lives. While there is a playful quality to Guyton's work, there are strong social and political undertones running throughout this project. The Number House speaks to Guyton's frustration regarding the government's inability to take care of people and to heal the deep scars that run through Detroit following the 1967 riots.

The Numbers House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Numbers House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Artist Tim Burke created the Detroit Industrial Gallery on Heidelberg Street as a result of being inspired by the work of Tyree Guyton. Like Guyton, there is a social and political commentary thread running through this work together with an obvious love of objects, history and recycling stuff. Both Guyton and Burke have thriving art careers exhibiting in museums and galleries while continuing their commitment to The Heidelberg Project.

Tim Burke's Detroit Industrial Gallery

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Tim Burke's Detroit Industrial Gallery

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

I have to admit that I loved "I am controlled by what I try to control." This seemed to perfectly sum up the way life, or at least my life feels much of the time.

Stuffed Animals & Faces of God

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Stuffed animals were everywhere. Hanging out of abandoned and painted cars, piled high on a marooned boat titled Noah's Ark, and attached to trees and buildings.

Noah's Ark

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Stuffed Animals on House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Stuffed Animals on Tree in front of Dotty Wotty House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Dotty Wotty House was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who stated "We are all the same color on the inside." The polka dots which are the major unifying theme of The Heidelberg Project are a symbol for the celebration of diversity and universal harmony. This house is also where Guyton's grandfather, friend and mentor Sam Mackay lived, so it has additional significance and meaning for Guyton.

Polka Dot Oil Cans

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Polka Dot Globe

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Polka Dot Tires

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Polka Dot Tire Fence

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Polka Dots & Taxis

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Heidelberg Street is a magical place. Guyton together with volunteers, neighbourhood and school kids, has transformed one of the poorest and virtually abandoned neighbourhoods with discarded consumer products and objects creating a visual feast that causes the viewer to question the nature of art, the concept of community and how these are inextricably interlinked and interwoven.

Taxis on House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Taxis on Tree

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Taxis on House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Polka Dots and Taxis

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Discarded and obsolete objects take on new meanings when artfully and deliberately placed allowing imaginations to dream and grow.

Meet Me Half Way

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Or cause one to think about the ways we treat both people and objects and our reluctance to see or think about alternative viewpoints or ways of knowing.

Found Object Sculpture

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

There is a part of me that has always delighted in the abstract beauty of found objects which took on added significance against the starkness of the snow.

Rusted Toy Trucks

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

There was so much to look at, so much to absorb. I wondered how different it would all look in the spring or summer without the blanket of snow, set against green grass and with more people wondering around. As it was I found the entire experience beautiful in its haunting stillness. I kind of liked being alone with it, just as I loved the experience of visiting an art gallery when I had the entire space to myself.

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The God House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Door Sculpture

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

While all of the work carried either overt or more cleverly hidden meanings or messages, a few installations communicated strong messages and commentary on societal problems and concerns. Beacon for Broken Health Care was one such work. Complete with a written statement, broken receptionist desk, hospital bed, crutches and supplies this work pointed out the need for preventative medicine and affordable and accessible primary care facilities for all.

Beacon for Broken Health Care

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Beacon for Broken Health Care

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

A pink submersed Hummer reminds us of the societal and global problems associated with conspicuous consumption and the inequality of wealth and opportunity.

Ode to the Hummer

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

Above all The Heidelberg Project is about hope. It is about believing in one's community and enacting change. Ongoing projects such as this Bottlecap Garden engage school and neighbourhood children in creating public art. Well developed educational materials, projects and teaching guides are available and public and private tours can be arranged.

Children's Bottle Cap Garden

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

As stated on one of their educational downloads, "The Heidelberg Project is art, energy, and community!"

Polka Dot Girl in doorway of God House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

As I was reflecting back on our trip to New Orleans and our brief stop in Detroit, I read Murray Whtye's January 2, 2011 column in the Toronto Star Art's New Dawn in Detroit. That creative energy that I sensed simmering almost seven years ago is definitely there. Art is a powerful force for both political commentary and social change. I thought back to the abandoned house we saw burning as we drove towards the border, however, I still believe that the creative energy that Detroit harbors will help the city once again come alive.

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T13:49:00.030-05:00

I can't believe it has already been five months since I have posted anything on this blog. How time flies. I still have a number of half written blog posts, images I have uploaded for blog posts, and ideas swirling around my head. However, for a number of reasons, I have just not been able to sit down, write, upload images and get these posted. Not that I have not been writing. I spent July through November immersed in writing my PhD comprehensive exam. Somehow taking time away from all the reading and writing I was doing to post blog posts seemed just not quite right. If I was going to sit at my computer writing, shouldn't I be doing the writing I had to do, not writing I wanted to do, or liked to do?

Which brings me to why I decided to post something today. I know this is supposed to be a blog about art. But sometimes you just have to deviate a bit. My husband and I have developed this very bad habit of checking email as we eat breakfast. We do not spend the entire time checking and reading email - but we both do log on and take a peak. Like most of us, I am bombarded with 100+ emails a day spread throughout three main accounts - my personal hotmail, my gallery email address, and my university email address. As a result I limit the feeds from blogs and tweets I follow and prefer to go read them when I have time.

However, there are a few I do follow regularly such as Silence and Voice, an excellent blog and twitter feed written by Jeffrey Keefer a PhD student studying at Lancaster University in the UK and living in New York City. I met, or more correctly we attended each other's presentations at the Congress of Qualitative Inquiry last spring. This morning as I opened my most recent email from Silence and Voice, Jeffrey had once again tweeted that he has achieved Inbox Zero! I on the other hand have just over 3000 unread emails! 3000! How do you possibly get to Inbox Zero, tweet, blog, work full-time, do your PhD and from following his blog and tweets - keep up with the endless shoveling of snow he has been trying to keep up with this winter?

While Jeffrey inspired me, it was The Thesis Whisperer, a blog about surviving the PhD experience, that really made me think I need to start blogging again. Today's guest post by Madeline Lum, The Thesis wants what the Thesis wants... made me realize that yes, while "The Thesis" or "Comp Exam" or many other parts of this PhD process can take over and control your life - you still do have a life that is made up of family, friends, pets, colleagues, acquaintances, strangers, hobbies, chores, personal interests, and a host of other things in your life.

Continuing to scan my inbox for emails that I: a) need to read, b)should read, c) can delete without reading, d) can ignore for now (hence the 3000 unread emails) and finally e) those I want to read, I opened the February newsletter from Metropolis Magazine. I have been an avid reader of Metropolis since the early 90's as I love their mix of architecture, design, art, culture and social issues. I was immediately drawn to the February 10th article by Kira Gold Learning from New Orleans.

You see we took a break, well more of a working break from our responsibilities at the university, for just over a week right before Christmas. As my husband is involved in a research project looking at health and safety issues related to the trucking industry, we decided to drive to New Orleans stopping only at truck stops with a mission of seeing how easy or difficult it is to eat healthy food in this environment. We have documented this trip on our blog (which like this has a few missing and soon to be posted posts) Long Haul - Short Order.

I wanted to go to New Orleans as the last time we had visited was pre-Katrina. There is something about New Orleans that I absolutely love. There is a sense of history, culture, pride, vibrancy and energy that is not found in too many North American cities. I am also interested in doing research on Prospect New Orleans, on the globalization of the art world, and on how art can be used as a tool for social, cultural, and economic change.

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

The images of the devastation following Katrina have continued to haunt me and I was interested to see for myself just how New Orleans had fared. I was particularly interested in seeing the impact of projects such as Make it Right, hoping that this had served as a catalyst for positive and sustainable change and redevelopment in the Lower Ninth Ward.

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

I don't know what I had expected. I had seen the images on television and in magazines, but actually being there, driving through the Lower Ninth Ward (and some of the other particularly hard hit areas of New Orleans) now 5 years later was difficult, sad, disturbing and troubling. However there were small encouraging signs of hope amidst the still all too evident destruction.

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

It felt strange driving around taking photos of the once vital but now mostly abandoned homes that like their occupants are now victims of Katrina. I felt like a voyeur, like I should not be there, like I didn't belong. However, I was compelled to take these photos. At some level I needed to document what I was seeing. To remind myself and maybe show others that things were not "all right." To remind us all that these flattened and almost deserted neighbourhoods were once alive with activity, people, friendship and community.

For Sale $8000

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Pre-Katrina the Lower Ninth Ward had a population of approximately 14,000, today the population is estimated at just under 1300. Statistics cited by The Information Collective states that pre-Katrina the Lower Ninth Ward had one of the highest rates of black homeowners in the country and that 59% of the 5601 total housing units were owner-occupied. These statistics make the situation in the area even more haunting.

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

It was almost impossible to imagine what it would be like to have stayed, or to have come back to reclaim this neighbourhood. How hard it must be to live down the street or next door to the shell of your best friend's home. Yet people have returned to pick up their lives and bring life back into their neighbourhood and this community.

Roots Run Deep Here

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

As we drove around we saw signs in yards or on street posts indicating the pride and determination the Lower Ninth Ward residents feel in once again making this their home.

NOLA Rising

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

We were encouraged by the homes that had been lovingly painted and restored and decorated for the holidays.

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

While we expected that we still might see homes that had been left abandoned, what we were not prepared for was seeing schools, businesses, shopping malls and other services abandoned, destroyed and rotting.

The Rabbit Bar

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Schwegmann Chalmette Plaza

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Schwegmann Chalmette Plaza

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Seeing schools with the poignant reminder of Fall 2005 back to school registration and mold and water stains as high as roof level was heart-wrenching.

Abandoned Elementary School

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Make it Right has completed just over 80 of the 150 homes that are part of a major effort to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward with safe, sustainable and affordable LEED certified homes. A twenty-square block area is being transformed and is a hub of construction activity.

Construction

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

The completed homes designed by internationally recognized architects and architecture schools provide an exciting and dynamic contrast to the despair and devastation left in Katrina's wake.

Make it Right

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Make it Right

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Make it Right

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Make it Right

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Together with these creative residences, this redevelopment effort has focused on working with community agencies in creating children's play areas, community gardens and wetlands projects.

Common Ground Relief

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Wetlands Restoration Station

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Children's Play Area

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

Despite the bright spots and signs of hope, we were deeply touched by what we saw. Images that will stay with us reminding us of the force of nature, the power of wind and water and how we can all too easily forget those less fortunate than ourselves. As we drove across the Claiborne Ave bridge we looked down at the Levee that is designed to keep this community safe. Somehow it just did not seem right that this wall of concrete and steel is the symbol of safety and security for the residents here. Shouldn't we all care what happens to our fellow human beings? How could we let this community which has suffered so deeply still so visibly show the signs of destruction more than five years later?

Levee

Lower Ninth Ward

New Orleans, LA

December 2010

"All that woman needs is medication and a boob job?"

2010-09-03T23:49:00.001-04:00

It has been some time since I wrote my last blog post. I have been meaning to get back to writing as I really miss it, but it has been a busy few months. Instead of blogging I have been doing lots of reading and writing about the experience of blogging and taught a course at the University of Waterloo this summer, where I had my students blog. Blogging is an interesting phenomenon. Most blogs exist in this liminal space - a space that is seemingly private, but at the same time very public. You write for yourself, but also for anyone that happens to come across your blog. Your readers could be everyone, or no one at all.

One of the reasons I have not been blogging is that I am in the midst of my PhD comprehensive exam. In my department this is a a four month process. You get three questions, four months to read and write your responses and then two-weeks later, you have your oral defense. I feel fortunate to have an amazing committee and together they crafted three questions that are interesting and inspiring, but at the same time challenging and thought-provoking.

However, it is my question # 2 and three different experiences that I have had over the past 24 hours that has inspired me to start blogging again.

#2 - Discuss the basic tenants of feminist theory. How might these ideas contribute to an understanding of fashion, clothing, and women's identity? Explore how these ideas inform a research project on the meanings, images, stereotypes, and symbolism of "the dress" in leisure settings?

A month ago a friend and colleague invited me to accompany her to go see the Toronto production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore. I have to admit that I am a bit of a theatre snob and typically prefer alternative and experimental theatre. Despite my initial reservations, I figured, why not? The reviews seemed positive enough, and who knows maybe it would inspire me or at least give me a popular culture take on my topic. And of course, it would be a nice break and a chance to get together with a friend.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore

Cover Art, Written and Illustrated by Ilene Beckerman

Algonquin Books 1994

Image courtesy of Ilene Beckerman and http://www.amazon.com

Once I got over the pastel frosted cookies, strawberry daiquiris and the sparkling wine they were selling at the concession and in the aisles of the theatre, I actually really enjoyed this production. (I am still wondering though, when exactly did they start selling refreshments inside the theatre as it somehow cheapens the entire experience, making it feel like a baseball game rather than theatre.) Delia and Nora Ephron created a smart, witty, poignant and funny script based on the images and text from Ilene Beckerman's charming illustrated book, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, interwoven with recollections and personal stories collected from their friends. I didn't want to like this play - but I did.

The play opens with the line, "These dresses tell a story" and finishes with "The story of my life ... that is personal to other people too." The story woven by the five female actors is one that many women, and many men with sisters, wives, or girlfriends, can relate to. It is the story of the perfect dress; the "outfit" that your mother thought looked fabulous on you, but made you the subject of ridicule at school; and the bulging closet that contains nothing fit to wear. It is a story of memories, fashion, relationships, mothers and daughters, and our struggle with identity and body image. It examines our subconscious, while poking gentle fun at many of the stereotypes associated with shopping, fashion, friends and family.

As I have been reading and thinking this past month, my thoughts kept returning to the script of this play. About how much of what was said echoes what I have been reading in the academic literature and plays with my own thoughts, images, insecurities, and ideals. So, as I finished reading Fiona Blaikie's article Knowing Bodies: A Visual and Poetic Inquiry into the Professoriate this afternoon, I asked my husband if he would be willing to go see Love, Loss, and What I Wore with me this evening, as somehow I felt I needed to see it again.

I wanted to return, this time with a notebook and pen, to capture some of the lines, the images, the thoughts, and the ideas that are shared between art, popular culture, research and life. I thought back to the line in Blaikie's article "I stand on my record and my high heels." About how loaded the messages carried in certain items of clothing are. "Everyone looks gorgeous in high heels" stated one of the actors. Followed by the statement "Heels or think?" Why do we feel compelled to have to make this choice? Is it really that impossible to be a smart feminist and still wear heels, dresses and lipstick?

While the focus of much of the dialogue of Love, Loss, and What I Wore focused on the relationship women have with their clothing, body image was a strong underlying theme. More specifically how most of us are not satisfied, happy or accepting of how we look. We are either too fat, or too thin. We can not gain weight or find it impossible to lose weight. And then there is the subject of our breasts!

Last night I went to the Canadian National Exhibition for the first time since moving to Toronto six years ago. I actually really dislike these large scale exhibitions or fairs. The idea of crowded midways, bad food, hawkers trying to get you to try your luck to win some giant stuffed object, and buildings filled with objects that you really do not need or even want, just does not appeal to me. However, there we were making our way through the crowds to see Cheryl-Ann Webster's exhibit The Beautiful Women Project. Webster embarked on this project after her thirteen-year old daughter came home from school and announced that one of her friends was saving up money for breast implants. As a mixed-media sculptor, she decided to create a project that would not only celebrate women's bodies but also their individual spirits.

Cheryl-Ann Webster, Body Image is Not Black and White

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

Webster began her talk last night with a question for her audience, "How many of you looked in the mirror today and said to yourself, ' Hey gorgeous!' " Her question raised a series of awkward laughs, but not one of us raised our hands. When she asked how many of us noticed one, two, or more faults with our appearance, she got a much greater response.

Cheryl-Ann Webster, Independence

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

The Beautiful Women Project is a journey that started in 2003. Webster started the project hoping to cast the torso's of 100 different women, who had not surgically enhanced their bodies, in an effort to demonstrate the beauty within all of us. The resulting project completed in 2005, has been exhibited in ten venues over the past five years and contains 120 torso's representing women from all walks of life and ranging in age from 19 to 91.

Cheryl-Ann Webster, Vines of Potential

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

Women from Canada, the United States and England eagerly volunteered to be part of this project. As I wandered around looking at and studying these sculptures and then listened to Cheryl-Ann tell the stories of these amazing women who all volunteered their time and their bodies to empower others or as a more personal act of healing or discovery, I could not help but agree with Cheryl-Ann that, yes, we are all beautiful.

Cheryl-Ann Webster, So Much So Little

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

It does not really matter if our breasts are large or small, perky or droopy; if our belly's are flat or round; or if we are young or old. Webster reminds us of why our bodies look the way they do. That there are biological reasons why we have breasts and store body fat; that we need to learn to embrace our bodies, be proud of who we are and the life we live.

Cheryl-Ann Webster, Displaced

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

As Cheryl-Ann states on her website, "Our bodies tell our life story, they are portraits of our journey's and experiences."

Cheryl-Ann Webster, In the Pink

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

My reading, together with my visits to both The Beautiful Women Project and Love, Loss, and What I Wore has filled my mind with thoughts, images, and questions these last few days.

Cheryl-Ann Webster, Be True

Ceramic mixed-media sculpture

The Beautiful Women Project 2003-2005

When we got home tonight, we were greeted at the door by Pookie, our toy poodle, who was waiting to go for his walk. I kicked off my high-heeled sandals, slipped on my Birkenstocks and headed out the door. As we walked past one of the trendy restaurants in our neighbourhood we passed by two guys standing outside and overheard one of them say, "All that woman needs is medication and a boob job!" I turned to my husband and shook my head. It has been a thought-provoking 24 hours.

Textiles as Art: Selections from the Permanent Collection at the Cambridge Galleries

2010-03-29T16:43:00.034-04:00

Yesterday was a blustery day. One of those days when you really don't expect much in the way of gallery traffic. But sometimes days just don't turn out as you expect and rather than sitting alone at my computer, I spent the afternoon engaged in a series of interesting conversations with visitors that wandered in.

Currently I am showing Caitlin Erskine-Smith's absolutely amazing weavings. They have completely transformed the gallery space loading it with multi-layered meanings hidden within the text and symbols of these painted textiles. Erskine-Smith's work is at once reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy, Egyptian hieroglyphics, ancient text but at the same time very contemporary, almost post-modern and very much her own.

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Writing Down the Gauntlet, 2009
Woven linen with painted warp
44" x 670"

I had a long conversation with one of my visitors yesterday. We discussed Caitlin's work, her process and inspiration. She then turned to me and asked me if I was an artist? I replied that I was not. She then queried, "But don't you want to be an artist?"

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Timing, 2009
Woven Cotton with painted warp
200" x 34"

How do you define who or what is an artist? Is anyone and everyone who creates something that fits within some definition of "art" an artist? One can then ask what is art?

A couple of weeks ago I headed over to Design at Riverside, one of the three main sites of the Cambridge Galleries system located in the impressive University of Waterloo School of Architecture building, to attend the opening of Selections from the Permanent Collection.

Personally, I love that openings for exhibitions at Design at Riverside tend to be on Tuesday evenings, as that is the day I typically have classes or seminars at the University of Waterloo. It also does not hurt that it is Pizza Madness night in the Melville Cafe, which is located in the Architecture building and directly across from the gallery. (I am particularly partial to their red pepper and basil wood-fired pizza.)

The Kitchener / Waterloo / Cambridge region has a rich textile manufacturing history. As a way to pay homage to this the Cambridge Galleries started to collect work that demonstrates the diversity and ingenuity of Canadian artists working in textile based media. Today this collection is one of the best and most comprehensive collections of contemporary Canadian fibre art in the country.

Installation View, Selections from the Permanent Collection

March 2 - April 11, 2010