Face2Face Felting Residency

I just came back from installing the final pieces from my Felting Residency at Brock Bridge Elementary School. This project was called "Face2Face". During this project I talked to the kids about making art as a community. How when a community makes art, everyone has a hand in its creation and an intrest in it evolution.

The project was structured by class. The first session with all of the classes K-4 was making felted balls. We then cut them in half and the children took half as a necklace and the other half they 'gave' to the fifth grade to create their self portraits. The second and third sessions of K-4 created the rest of the facial elements (Hair, nose, mouth, ears) The 5th graders first session was placing the wool so it could be felted into a flat 'portrait'. Second session they felted the portraits and third session they used the elements created by the rest of the school to create their face. As you can see, the results are charming.

The pieces look fabulous and the kids seem to dig it. The most important part, as in any community art project, is the buy in from the participants, teachers, and staff. I think they were a little unsure about the project, but now everyone, I think, is pleased with the results. I would like to thank the Brockbridge PTA and the Washington Post for supporting this project. I would also like to thank Brockbridge Art teacher, Faith Ward. She does a terriffic job!

I had a good time with this residency, but I am ready for a break. Tomorrow we install "Shoe Tree" at Dukes Shoe repair for the SITEPROJECTSDC show. I am pretty nervous, it is a heavy piece of art. I will breathe better once it is up.