Diversity Banners

ASL Honor Society Banner, 2024
Felt, linen

 

Little Old Lady in Training, 2024
Found objects, found fabric

Sketches

Process

Left: Paper mockup; text was measured out with a ruler

Right: Digital color mockup

Laying out objects and planning placement before attaching

Personal Banner: Artist Statement

True story: many years ago my grandmother called me a "little old lady in training." She is a collector; she used to sell antiques, and her house is a trinket museum full of little memories. This is something we share, even though I'm not (yet) a little old lady. This piece was designed to be a window with a sill full of trinkets, but during the process of the work I adjusted the design a few times. The trinkets now hang not only on the "sill" but also from the embroidered words, and even on top of the curtain. All the objects were taken from my childhood bedroom (they are probably about 5% of all of my trinkets), illustrating how I have always loved the grandma aesthetic, and have been a collector since birth. I also love that this banner treats growing old as the gift that it is, rather than seeing it as a negative thing. Personally, I look forward to being a little old lady, and I hope this work shows others what a joy it can be.

I've always loved this concept, and describing myself as a "little old lady in training," but I was especially keen now to create a piece of art for and about my grandmother, as she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease several years ago, and while we were blessed to have her progress slowly, she has recently taken a sharp decline. This piece was very emotional for me, as I was both sorting through my own trinkets and the memories attached to them, while also remembering moments with my grandmother and processing my grief for the loss of who she was before Alzheimer's.