At 1708 Gallery, Janis Allen writes words of encouragement that will be incorporated into an installation by the "In Plain Sight" participants at November's InLight festival.
Helping young people form strong connections to the past can be a formidable task, but Girls for a Change is up to the challenge.
The local nonprofit empowers black girls and other girls of color through discovery, development and social change projects. This summer, girls explored the art of storytelling through pattern making and quilting with their project “In Plain Sight.” Participants created 2-foot-by-4-foot quilt-like multimedia art pieces that explore their own narratives and experiences of being a black girl in 2019.
“This isn't just an art project,” says Angela Patton, chief executive officer of Girls for a Change. “It's part of their heritage. It's teaching them [African American] history in another way without being fearful of it, without the trauma. It’s teaching in a way that's celebratory and appreciative.”
The 12-week project is the product of one of GFAC’s Girl Action Teams, a core component of the nonprofit’s initiatives. The free after-school program gathers girls in grades 6 through 12 in teams, each identifying challenges in their communities and coming up with unique ways to address them. The teams always have two coaches, and local artists Hamilton Glass and Austin “Auz” Miles coached the “In Plain Sight” team.
“It’s important to understand what quilting has meant to the black community historically throughout the South,” Miles says. “Growing up, I had quilts in my family. My grandmother would put them on us. It's nostalgic.”
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Sannaa Glass, 9, a project participant and daughter of "In Plain Sight" mentor-artist Hamilton Glass, explains her quilt panel to guests at the gallery.
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A closer view of Sannaa Glass' quilt panel
During the 12 weeks, the girls learned about the history of quilt making, traditional and contemporary African American quiltmakers, and how the tradition has evolved over time. “It's shining a light on history they might not have known,” Miles says. “This age group of girls wouldn’t have been exposed to that,” Glass adds.
For Glass, the quilting project is a continuation of previous work. In 2017 he helped GFAC create a Jackson Ward mural celebrating the experience of black girls and women. “The girls talked about not seeing themselves in Richmond,” Glass says. “As a public artist, my ears stood up. I thought, ‘How can I help them do that?’ ”
As much as the quilting project was about the past, it was also about the future. A big part of the effort involved honing the girls’ presentation and public speaking skills.
“I learned how to speak up more and for myself,” 11-year-old Symia Ortiz says. She describes herself as a pretty bubbly and confident person in general, but when it came to public speaking, it was a different story. “I didn’t really know how to express myself,” she says.
With the support of her team and coaches, she steadily improved. “It helped me speak up more, so that when the time came to speak in front of the crowd, I had the courage and the guts to do it," she says.
“It was awesome to see they've come so far,” Miles says. “They're beautiful public speakers. And they're way ahead of the game.”
Artist-mentor Austin Miles, who worked with Glass and the girls on "In Plain Sight," talks about the project.
The project culminated with exhibitions and presentations at three art galleries this summer, including 1708 Gallery on Aug. 21. The team will also create an art installation to be showcased in 1708 Gallery’s Annual InLight exhibition, to be held in November at Chimborazo Park in Church Hill. The girls have collected responses from gallery goers to two prompts at each of their exhibitions, which will be used to create a quilt design that incorporates light.
Glass says the gallery exhibitions were an integral part of the project. “My personal mission is to share my talent so they can be in places they normally can’t be,” he says. “I want them to represent themselves. Their work is powerful, and they should be proud to talk about it.”
GFAC’s Patton says that when she initially presented the project idea to the broader community, she got positive feedback. “The community responded extremely well,” she says. “They said, ‘I want to be a part of something that allows me to be heard.’ ”
Other support was there when they needed it, too. Patton says backing from the Virginia Arts Commission and the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation in particular were critical. ”Without our funders believing in the work of GFAC and supporting local artists, this wouldn't be possible at all,” she says.
Most of all, Patton hopes the community gets the “why” behind the project. She clarifies that GFAC is not about excluding anyone, but rather is about addressing disparities. “This is a community of girls who've been untapped for so long,” she says.
She explains that GFAC equips black girls and other girls of color with the skills, resources and confidence they need to excel. “The goal is to put us all in the same playing field, so we all win the game,” she says. “Black girls do matter in our community. They have value.”
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