Woven Records
February 7-July 2010
Textile artist Lesli Robertson led a series of workshops with Museum visitors, volunteers, and individuals from community groups to create a collaborative work of art for this installation. Collages created in these workshops were woven into strips of cloth that were hung in rows. Text from the documentation of the groups’ contributions is projected on two giant interactive looms, which visitors were allowed to add to!
Other community participants include:
ARC of Dallas; Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts; Go van Gogh® volunteers; Ice House Cultural Center; Talented and Gifted Program at John F. Kennedy Learning Center; The Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe; Tulisoma Arts Festival at the African American Museum; and Museum visitors, teen docents, teachers, staff, docents, and volunteers.
Ms. Robertson’s interpretation of Materials & Meanings:
"Choices of material can express something about an artist or creator—the textiles are considered fragile and temporary while the concrete suggests permanence and strength. In this installation, I used concrete to suggest the lasting importance of the community relationships and the process of weaving to create a woven record of the individuals who are part of this community. Weaving the collages together allowed me to connect the participants in a new way. My intention is for them to see how they are a part of a larger community and how their contribution to it is vital."
