From pin-cushions to quilts, textiles are the medium of the moment for the young artists in ART 180’s spring program for girls at Henderson Middle School. Program leaders Alida Barden and Yewande Lewis plan to use the the rich traditions of sewing and quilt-making to facilitate participants’ exploration of their personal history and heroes, even as they learn to work with fabric, needle and thread.
Natalie Steck, a volunteer from VCU’s Art Education program working to document ART 180 programs, observed the young artists at Henderson last week.
“All of the girls were mainly working quietly but there were also bursts of singing and laughing. It was hard to quietly document, I wanted to be a part of the art making so bad.”
Hand-stitched pin cushions (Henderson Middle School). Photo by Natalie Steck.