The Crochet Program of OSCI Newsletter - School of Architecture ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

C4C accepts yarn as well as monetary donations (we would rather get the yarn.) If you would like to make a donation to support our efforts please contact Kimm Hollingsworth or Karen Bennett Karen Bennett Can be contacted at Karen.auntellapathway@gmail.com 503.339.7743 Transitions Service Division You can contact Crocheting 4 Community at: c/o Kimm Hollingsworth, Transitions Coordinator & Staff Advisor Oregon State Correctional Institution 3405 Deer Park Drive SE Salem, Oregon 97310 Phone: 503 373-0194 Fax: 503 378-5113 Email: Kimm.M.Hollingsworth@doc.state.or.us
Shawls for the Elders This year I had the honor do be asked to make shawls for our Native American club here at OSCI, Inipi Oyate Ki (People of the Sweat), which were to be given to some of our women elders and volunteers at the upcoming 2011 Pow Wow. It was mid January and the event is in late September, so I figured that I had plenty of time to do the work, and to spare. Fate can play funny tricks on you. I had finished (almost) five shawls on the morning of March 29 th when one of those aforementioned funny tricks struck like lighting. The Native circle was hosting a change of season’s meal that night and had come up with a great idea: to give some of the shawls out early. This left me in a bit of a quandary as none of the shawls I had done so far had been fringed yet (remember how I had plenty of time for this pro- University of Oregon Art Show (Continued from page 2) ject…ha ha ha) which can take a wee bit o-time. Needless to say I, and Abdur Rashid, went into fringing overdrive to get them all done in the next few hours. We were finishing the last two in the back of the room while the meal was taking place, and drawing the occasional glance of curiosity from all present. With but minutes to spare before the giving of gifts we slipped the last stitch and were done. I had never imagined that crochet could be a timed event with a speed round. In the end the ladies were delighted with their gifts and I learned a valuable lesson: fringe your shawls! Always fringe your shawls. By Twelve Petal Flower visits—with cameras, release of information forms, questionnaires, and audio recorders—I believed that the art show was actually going to happen. The last time they came back I was all in, I was enthusiastic, and I was ready. I believed I was a folk artist, and I had an afghan I wanted to display. It had taken me 5 months to crochet that particular afghan, and I really liked the idea that it would be part of the exhibit. The art show was May 20-22, 2011, in Mt. Vernon, Washington, and from what I’ve heard—it was a I never imagined that it would lead to me being included in my first ever art show. rousing success. Our Crocheting 4 Community coordinator, Karen Bennett, attended and came back with a very favorable impression of the organization and care that was shown in displaying our crocheted items and all the other prisoner artworks that had been sent from OSCI. She said we would be very pleased with how it looked, but that we didn’t have to take her word for it since the U of O people would be coming back on July 28 th to show us pictures of the exhibit, tell us how it went, and talk to us about future shows. As a result of the art show there was a transformation that happened inside my own self-confidence. For me, to go from simply enjoying crochet because of the myriad of colors and textures of the yarns, to believing that I am an artist is a remarkable thing to have happen in the course of several months. For years my depression refused to allow me to see any good in me at all. It is a real confidence boost to get validation from others for the items I crochet even as I serve out my time in prison. Crocheting 4 Community is made up of fantastic artists, and as artists we are connected to a much larger community—a community that connects prisoners with people on the outside in healthy and affirming ways. For that, every member of the group is extremely thankful to everyone who was involved in the preparation, organization, and culmination of that show. We are hoping that there will be many more exhibits in the future. By Treble Stitch Page 5 Crocheting 4 Community
Page 1 and 2: Autumn 2011 The Ladies of Marys Woo
Page 3: Volume 1, Issue 2 Donation Form Sig
Page 7 and 8: U of O Inside/Out Russian Literatur

The Crochet Program of OSCI Newsletter - School of Architecture ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?