I’ve been crocheting chickens for most of the month of June. It started with wanting to make a hen for a friend. I found a few patterns on-line and ended up adapting and combining to create my own.
One pattern was titled “Emotional Support Chickens.” Crocheting and working with my hands has been a source of emotional support lately.
Living near DC, events this month have felt challenging, both logistically and emotionally. The second weekend in June, I was sure to avoid the city, both due to the road closures and the violence and spectacle of the fight hosted on the White House lawn. It felt like an act of courage a week later to visit to the Renwick Gallery, a favorite spot of mine but also one that is steps from the White House. We visited the current exhibit titled, State Fairs: Growing American Craft.
I have never been to a state fair and imagined they were mostly focused on exhibits related to agriculture, prize winning vegetables and livestock. We did see a life size cow sculpted from butter and a pyramid aglow with examples of canned produce and jellies, but we also saw so much more.
The exhibits included baskets, pottery, hooked rugs, rosemaling, crochet, models, bird and fish decoys, and portraits made of seeds. I was delighted to learn so much more about this tradition and the way it celebrates community and creativity. State fairs take place in all kinds of community spaces and celebrate and display such a wonderful range of creative practices.
This quilt was made by a woman who frequently won ribbons at the state fair; in fact, she won so many she had enough to make a quilt out of them! What I loved about her quilt wasn’t the winning but the way this use of the ribbons let me see the broad range of categories and entries at the fair. Many of the ribbons had written on them what they won for. Entries ranged from baked goods to crafts to custom mixed teas; a true showcase of many ways we are creative in our daily lives.
I was also struck by how intergenerational the exhibit was. I saw a small boat made and entered by a twelve-year-old boy and stitch work made and entered by a nine-year-old girl. Other pieces highlighted how crafters had begun crafting in retirement. The fairs seemed to give everyone a chance to share and show off what they were making.
There were pieces that let me learn about the crafts of local areas such as carved and painted wooden fish decoys from North Dakota. These are used in ice fishing. They are dropped on a line into the ice to spin to the bottom and attract fish. There were also several featured pieces from Native American fairs as well as ceremonial dress from powwows.
I was grateful to see such a broad range of stories and kinds of creative practice included in the pieces in the exhibit. It was a good reminder how making things with our hands is part of our history, culture, and connection to each other. I am delighted to see this celebrated as we mark our 250th anniversary.
Several of the quilts highlighted community creativity. Two designs were completed by 4H club members in different states. This article tells the stories of some of the participants from West Virginia who made squares.
One particularly powerful story was of a quilt made by women inmates in a prison in Kentucky. The quilt highlighted the abuse the women had suffered, and the posted information noted how viewing the quilt at the state fair brought the governor’s attention to their situation and the need for reform.
If you are in the DC area, I highly recommend visit to the Renwick Gallery. If you can’t get there in person, some of the items can be seen in the online gallery for the exhibit.
It also makes me think about unexpected spaces to look for art, craft and creativity.
I plan to go to my community farmers market this week and admire the produce. I’ve recently learned there is a Little Free Art Gallery in my neighborhood, and I plan to pay that a visit too. On my walks, I admire neighbor’s gardens. I’m particularly enchanted by homemade decorations too.
Where are you seeing and celebrating creativity in your community?
Thank you for all who have written and shared your thoughts with me from my creative questions newsletter in April. I continue to welcome additional thoughts and reflections. You can find the questions here.
And thank you for reading, sharing, and being part of creative community through this newsletter.
With a grateful heart,
Kathryn
Delight in the garden - my first tithonia flower bloomed this week. A celebration of brightness.
Upcoming Summer events:
July 6-8 I will be artist-in-residence for Women’s Camp at Camp Washington in Connecticut.
Our theme will be Book of Hours with lots of opportunities for community, nature, and creativity. I am excited to collaborate with Rev. Tuesday Rupp on this program.
On Thursday, August 20, I will have an artist talk and reception at Shirlington Library to share my Mother Trees series that is on display throughout the summer.
Learn more about the event and register on the library website. The exhibit is up just inside the entrance to Shirlington Library through the month of August. Visit the Shirlington Library website for their hours.
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