-T-H-R-E-A-D-I-N-G-T-H-R-O-U-G-H-
Pan African Textiles and the Stories They Tell
August 3 – 31, 2020
Special Opening – Saturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday; noon – 5 p.m.
Masks and Social Distancing Required
-T-H-R-E-A-D-I-N-G-T-H-R-O-U-G-H- Pan African Textiles and the Stories They Tell is a fusion of research told by artist and author, Crystal C. Mercer.
“This exhibit is a depiction of my Southern United States heritage, and my African lineage that features hand-crafted and hand-embroidered textile renderings that represent my signature artistic aesthetic and my draw to culture, activism, and social justice narratives of class, gender, and color. The visual representation of this work will blend the various fabrics being studied and will combine text (poetry and prose) and technique to illuminate the messages that cloth communicates. Utilizing fabric as the conduit between the past and the present, this display is paying respect to my own experiences, current and evolving Black culture, and the long spiritual memory of my ancestors.”
“These projects pay homage to all the ways I found myself when I was able to sojourn to the realm of my origin.” ~ Crystal C. Mercer
Watch the gallery walk video HERE!
Click on image to enlarge. Images are the property of the artist and are not to be reproduced, copied or edited for any reason without expressed permission from the artist.
BLACK GLOW MATTERS by Crystal C. Mercer
When I was a little girl, there was nothing more I dreamed of than going to Africa. My late father, Attorney Christopher C. Mercer, Jr., was friends with Alex Haley, the author of ROOTS. I had an instant connection to the Motherland. In 2018, I lived in Accra, Ghana and my childhood dream became true. It was there BLACK GLOW MATTERS was born.
The Poetry EP and the short film, which share the same name, is about lineage and legacy. It’s a story about honoring the ancestors, raising the dead even, to pay homage to those who have paved a path of resistance and resilience. A story of survival. A story of sensuality. A story of illuminating from the inside out. BLACK GLOW MATTERS is a story about a cotton blossom of a girl from Little Rock, Arkansas who fully blooms into her freedom in Accra, Ghana.
Growing up in the American South (or anywhere) was difficult for a Black girl. I was constantly met with aggression and oppression. In Ghana, I could exist without question. I was completely free. Glowing in every sense of the word… and in the midst of this time that we are in, our joy resistance, too.
Glow on, people, glow on! BLACK GLOW MATTERS, EP streaming everywhere! WATCH THE SHORT FILM!
FROM COTTON TO SILK: THE MAGIC OF BLACK HAIR
Coming November 20, 2020
From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair is a children’s book that chronicles two sisters, Gisele and Elise, and their love for their hair in its natural state. The story is sprinkled with #BlackGirlMagic and is an ode to cultural beauty. What is most unique about this book is the use of textiles to tell the tale, each page a hand-stitched masterpiece, blending cloth, culture, and the superpowers of the kinky, curly coif!
CRYSTAL C. MERCER A gem from The Natural State, Mercer is always looking for the next adventure that will unearth her poetic, textile, and dramatic magic. Activated by arts and activism… She knows, shows, and cares about what’s going on in the hood.
Stay connected to her at www.crystalcmercer.com.