Image by Dan Smith
Song of Tent City
Amazing that we pulled it off in such a short time! Thanks to the generous support and expert assistance of Dan Smith, Vanessa DeWolf, Dr. Clinton Lee Bliss, Christopher Wilson, Lyn Coffin, Mark Miner, Josie Elizabeth Davis, Jacqueline Juarez, Oakley, Jim Roe, Scott Morrow, Darren Norrington and others, the show opened to a healthy and appreciative audience on Thursday 6 January at Tether Design Gallery in Occidental Square. Many thanks to all who attended and offered support!! Representatives from Tent City 3, SHARE/WHEEL and Sprout were among those in attendance, along with 10 residents from Tent City and many friends from the art community! We were all mingling, there was no fence, and it felt natural and healthy enough. Items on display in the gallery include: (1) the ger in which I lived in Tent City and, inside it, my milk crate bed and sleeping bags and chair, (2) My Poet's Cape fanned out on the wall, (3) the Whitman quote that inspired it all painted on two blue tarps, (4) handwritten lines of my own original writing on the rafters, audio of the script and discussion between Tent City collaborators Lyn Coffin and Mark Miner (with assistance by Vanessa Dewolf), (5) six original works of art created by resident artists at Tent City 3, (6) letter-press printed broadsides with stencils of my yurt and blue smurfs (the tall community tents), (7) a sign-making station where people were welcome to think about what they truly needed and write that on a square of cardboard, (8) original sketches and hand penned letters from my time in Tent City. As a fundraising show, Song of Tent City will continue at Tether gallery for two weeks (gallery hours are M-F from 11am-5pm). Sales items include original framed works of art made by Tent City 3 residents, hand-stenciled broadsides with images of my ger and TC3 tents and handmade Song of Tent City journals. Thank you for engaging with this art and for doing your part to ease the burden of homelessness in Seattle.
Audio Recordings of Artist Pairings
Lyn Coffin & Mark Miner Script (read by Mark & Vanessa)
Mark Miner Explains the Script
Mark Miner Talks about Tent City
Vanessa DeWolf & Jacqueline
Josie Davis & Oakley
Lyn Coffin & Mark Miner Script (read by Mark & Vanessa)
Mark Miner Explains the Script
Mark Miner Talks about Tent City
Vanessa DeWolf & Jacqueline
Josie Davis & Oakley
Congrats Mimi! Wish I could come visit the gallery and see myself.
ReplyDeleteHi Mimi, my name is Celina and I'm a writer for the newspaper Real Change. I read about your project with Tent City in a recent issue of City Arts and was interested in learning more. If you wouldn't mind answering a few questions, I can be reached at celina_kareiva@yahoo.com. Thanks for the inspirational work!
ReplyDelete--Celina