2021 – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft https://crafthouston.org Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is a nonprofit arts organization founded to advance education about the process, product and history of craft. HCCC’s major emphasis is on objects of art made primarily from craft materials: clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood or found/recycled materials. Thu, 11 Jan 2024 19:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://crafthouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hccc-fav-1-76x76.png 2021 – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft https://crafthouston.org 32 32 Copy Culture: Zines Made and Shared https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/copy-culture/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/copy-culture/#respond Fri, 16 Jul 2021 08:10:32 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/copy-culture/ **Please note: HCCC will be closed to the public Christmas Day through New Year’s Day (Dec. 25 – Jan. 1), for staff holidays.**

Jump to virtual learning content and related events.

Copy Culture: Zines Made and Shared celebrates the history, practice, and community of self-described “zinesters.” Zines, which are small circulation booklets created and distributed by individuals or small groups, are set apart from mainstream publishing by a lack of formal barriers to participation. For decades, zines have brought together and created space for marginalized, underrepresented, and dissident voices to share knowledge and find community. Copy Culture features zines and ephemera from Texas and beyond, inviting visitors to learn more by doing it themselves.

Born in the age of “snail mail,” zines now enjoy wide popularity and distribution online. Nevertheless, many zinesters still cite zine festivals as the best outlet for community, commerce, and connection. The co-founders of San Anto Zine Fest, Natasha I. Hernandez and Isabel Ann Castro, also produced the long-running submission-based zine, St. Sucia, which captured the complicated, beautiful reality of what 21st-century Latinx identity looks like through the eyes of its community of devoted fans, known as sucias. They write, “We are a space for gente who identify as mujer, in any way they choose to.”

While the most recognizable graphic style associated with zines is tied to the use of collage and reappropriated content by movements like Fluxus and the Situationist International, zines today encompass a vast spectrum of styles and content. From the cinematic nickelodeon zines of Dallas-based Andy Hirsch to the lush climate-change-inspired comics drawn by Sarah Welch and printed by James Beard, of Houston-based Mystic Multiples, the fundamentals of zine-making provide a nearly limitless platform from which to explore and experiment.

Innumerable knowledge- and skill-sharing zines have created a vast repository of knowledge built by diverse voices across the globe, building solidarity by democratizing access to information and archiving the voices of historically underrepresented groups. In that tradition, Emily Halbardier and Erik Sultzer, of Houston-based The Center for Imaginative Cartography and Research, share knowledge about processes like fermentation, and New York-based Liza Stark merges technology with the zine’s simple paper format to create a how-to manual for circuitry that lights up.

Perpetually hailed as being “back” and in vogue once again, zines have been a consistent outlet for a variety of communities, from sci-fi enthusiasts to LGBTQ+ writers and artists, since long before the term zine was coined in 1940. Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg comments, “One of the most easily accessible and enduring forms of making, self-publishing is as old as printing itself. Yet, zines remain contemporary, as each rediscovery of this versatile medium brings new ideas, new voices, and new connections to history.”

As part of its exhibition programming, HCCC will invite the public to watch zine-making demonstrations and make their own zines using simple materials and techniques.

Copy Culture: Zines Made and Shared is curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg.


RELATED EVENTS

Copy Fest Zine Market & Demo with Sarah Welch
October 9, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

HOH To Go: Zines 101
November 6, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

“Copy Culture” Zine-Making Demo with Anastasia Kirages
November 6, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

We invite you to learn more about the exhibition by visiting the virtual learning content below.

Low-Vision Gallery Guide

EXPLORE

Video: Andy Hirsch demonstrates how to read his zine, “Super Max: Muscle Fight Chronicles”

Video: Andy Hirsch reads through his zine, “Untitled”

Video: Andy Hirsch unfolds his zine, “Idle Threat”

Video: HCCC Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg shows how to make a one-page zine


Image credits:

  1. The Center for Imaginative Cartography and Research, “Daily Ferments 1-7,” 2014-2015. Two-color Risograph on 65# Astrobright cover, black xerography on 70# Classic Crest text. 5″ x 3.75.” Courtesy of the artists.
  2. The Center for Imaginative Cartography and Research, “Found Tomorrow,” 2019. 3-color Risograph print. 11″x 17.”. Courtesy of the artists.
  3. The Center for Imaginative Cartography and Research, “Psychic Vent,” 2019. Mixed-media collage. 13.5″ x 18.75.” Courtesy of the artists.
  4. Andy Hirsch, “Super Max: Muscle Fight Chronicles,” 2009. Paper, laser print, book board, screenprint, wood. 5″ x 8.” Courtesy of the artist.
  5. Andy Hirsch, “Idle Threat,” 2009. Paper and laser print. 6″ x 8 1/2″ / 6″ x 10’11.” Courtesy of the artist.
  6. Andy Hirsch, “Untitled,” 2010. Paper, transparency, laser print. 4 1/2″ x 6 ¼.” Courtesy of the artist.
  7. Liza Stark, “Crafting a Path,” 2016. Card stock, paper, LED, copper tape, coin-cell battery, clip, silver stretch conductive fabric. 8.5×11 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
  8. Liza Stark, “Crafting a Path,” 2016. Card stock, paper, LED, copper tape, coin cell battery, clip, silver stretch conductive fabric. 8.5×11 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
  9. Isabel Ann Castro and Natasha I. Hernandez, “Centenos 3.” Photo by Destiny Mata.
  10. Isabel Ann Castro and Natasha I. Hernandez, “Centenos 2.” Photo by Destiny Mata.
  11. Isabel Ann Castro and Natasha I. Hernandez, “Centenos 1.” Photo by Destiny Mata.
  12. Sarah Welch, “Holdouts” and “Holdouts: Giveth and Taketh,” 2017 and 2019. Risograph printed comics. Courtesy of the artist.
  13. Sarah Welch, “Crypt Iguana” (detail), 2019. Risograph printed comic. 10″ x 6.75.” Courtesy of the artist.
  14. Sarah Welch, “Crypt Iguana,” 2019. Risograph printed comic. 10″ x 6.75.” Courtesy of the artist.

Attachments

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In Residence: 14th Edition https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/in-residence-14th-edition/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/in-residence-14th-edition/#respond Wed, 07 Jul 2021 06:53:37 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/in-residence-14th-edition/ Houston Center for Contemporary Craft  presents In Residence: 14th Edition, an annual exhibition of work by its 2020 – 2021 resident artists. This exhibition features work in paper, metal, clay, fiber, and stone by Chloe Darke, Abbie Preston Edmonson, Hong Hong, Hillerbrand + Magsamen, Stephanie Robison, Michael Velliquette, and Kirstin Willders. HCCC Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg notes, “The innovation, skill, and spirit of these artists embody what makes HCCC’s artist residency program so unique. This edition opens just before HCCC’s 20th anniversary, a milestone that marks the resiliency and vibrancy of this program.”

The contemplative works of Hong Hong and Michael Velliquette harness the versatility of paper in each artist’s distinctive approach to this ancient medium. Hong embraces the ephemerality of paper and the physical act of pouring pulp, creating large-scale pieces that change as they dry in the open air. Velliquette carefully researches and chooses paper stock that will hold up to his meticulous process of building mandala-like, architectural sculptures that draw the viewer into a meditative state.

Ceramicists Abbie Preston Edmonson and Kirstin Willders express personal and societal experiences through their own visual vocabularies. For Edmonson, processing grief and trauma has led her to explore a metaphorical approach to material, using clay and paper as vessels holding deep wells of emotions that are often difficult to express. Willders encodes a ritual language into her ceramics to create a dialogue between queer identity and the historical use of reliquaries, adorning her vessels with talismanic arrangements of hair, metal chains, and sprigs of herbs.

Chloe Darke and Stephanie Robison explore the capacity of human perception with incongruent combinations of materials, ranging from quarried stone to cultivated bacteria, that invite curiosity, amusement, or even disgust. Darke fashions tools for an imagined arcane laboratory that seeks out and hides knowledge, inviting viewers to draw their own conclusions. Robison’s work combines the softness and malleability of felt with the rigidity of stone, undermining the expectations of each material, with hard sculptures that seem to melt and ooze and soft forms that feel capable of bearing weight.

Hillerbrand + Magsamen, the inaugural recipients of the new Interdisciplinary Craft + Photography Residency (presented in collaboration with Houston Center for Photography), use photography as both a starting point and a step in their craft process. Moving fluidly among photography, sculpture, and embroidery, their practice also encompasses filmmaking and set building to provoke inquiry, play, and experimentation.

In Residence: 14th Edition was curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow, María-Elisa Heg.  More information about the Center’s artist residency program can be found at:  https://www.crafthoustodev.wpenginepowered.com/artists/residents/.


Image credits:

  1. Chloe Darke, “Inoculate,” 2020. Sterling silver, copper, resin, silk, agar, cultivated bacteria colonies. 16.5” x 6.25” x 3.5”. Courtesy of the artist.
  2. Chloe Darke, “Shear,” 2019. Brass. 18” x 5.5” x .5”. Photo by Jim Escalante.
  3. Chloe Darke, “Plasmodium Brooch,” 2021. Copper, silver, steel, agar, Physarum polycephalum (slime mold), resin. 3.25″ x 2.375″ x .5″. Courtesy of the artist.
  4. Abbie Preston Edmonson, “Burn That Sh*t Down,” 2021. Fired Clay, Glaze, Underglaze, Charcoal, Light. Photo by Mark Franci.
  5. Abbie Preston Edmonson, “Burn That Sh*t Down,” 2021. Fired Clay, Glaze, Underglaze, Charcoal, Light. Photo by Mark Franci.
  6. Hillerbrand + Magsamen, “Alchemy for Thought,” 2021. Archival inkjet print and thread. 24″x24″. Courtesy of the artists.
  7. Hong Hong, Image of an in-process, environmental pour at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 2021. Courtesy of the artist.
  8. Hong Hong, “The Weight of Water and a White Snow,” 2021. Repurposed paper, sun, dust, hair, pollen, mulberry bark, fiber-reactive dyes, water and foliage: Resurrection Fern. 91″ x 139″ x 93″. Courtesy of the artist.
  9. Hong Hong, “The Mountain That Does not Describe a Circle, II,” 2021. Repurposed paper, sun, dust, hair, pollen, mulberry bark, fiber-reactive dyes, water and foliage: Vetiver. 96″ x 113″. Courtesy of the artist.
  10. Stephanie Robison, “Pandemic,” 2020. Marble, wool. 6″ x 8″ x 5″. Photo by John Janca.
  11. Stephanie Robison, “Desire,” 2020. Pyrophilite, wool. 12″ x 6″ x 4″. Photo by John Janca.
  12. Stephanie Robison, “Bagpipe Of Insanity,” 2020. Marble, wool, wood, fabric, paint. 14″x 5″x 4″. Photo by John Janca.
  13. Michael Velliquette, “Let your hand rest on the rim of heaven,” 2019. Paper sculpture. 20″x20″x6. Photo by Jim Escalante.
  14. Michael Velliquette, “All seeming things shine with the light of pure knowledge,” 2019. Paper sculpture. 18″ x 8″ x 8″. Photo by Jim Escalante.
  15. Michael Velliquette, “The love that would soak down into the center of being,” 2020. Paper sculpture. 20” x 20 x 8”. Photo by Jim Escalante.
  16. Kirstin Willders, “I Carry With Me All My Things: Lavender” (detail 1), 2021. Ceramic, hair, stainless steel findings, faux lavender, dried (natural) lavender, lavender incense, lavender essential oil, microphone & microphone stand. 26″ x 31″ x 20″. Courtesy of the artist.
  17. Kirstin Willders, “I Carry With Me All My Things: Lavender” (detail 2), 2021. Ceramic, hair, stainless steel findings, faux lavender, dried (natural) lavender, lavender incense, lavender essential oil, microphone & microphone stand. 26″ x 31″ x 20″. Courtesy of the artist.
  18. Kirstin Willders, “I Carry With Me All My Things: Lavender,” 2021. Ceramic, hair, stainless steel findings, faux lavender, dried (natural) lavender, lavender incense, lavender essential oil, microphone & microphone stand. 26″ x 31″ x 20″. Courtesy of the artist.
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Later, Longer, Fewer: The Work of Jennifer Ling Datchuk https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/later-longer-fewer/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/later-longer-fewer/#respond Fri, 02 Jul 2021 23:26:04 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/later-longer-fewer/ **Please note: HCCC will be closed to the public Christmas Day through New Year’s Day (Dec. 25 – Jan. 1), for staff holidays.**

Jump to virtual learning content and related events.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft presents Later, Longer, Fewer: The Work of Jennifer Ling Datchuk, an exhibition of blue-and-white porcelain sculptures, large-scale multimedia installations, and performance video that critiques the realities and contemporary perceptions of women’s access and liberation. Using Asian motifs that are common in blue-and-white porcelain, coupled with the design and material language of domestic objects and feminine beauty products, Jennifer Ling Datchuk elevates stories of silent sisterhood and feminist perspectives while exposing systematic inequities that continue to stifle women’s progress.

As a Chinese American woman, Datchuk delves into the complicated and sometimes overwhelming aspects of growing up in a blended family. She states, “My work has always been an exploration of my layered identity—as a woman, a woman of color, an ‘American,’ and as a third-culture kid.”

The exhibition title, Later, Longer, Fewer, references a 1970s Chinese propaganda poster that encouraged women to take advantage of birth control to curtail the country’s birth rate. Datchuk’s exhibition opens up a conversation about historical civil rights precedents in China and America. She comments, “This message suggests that women have the power and access to resources in order to make these decisions. China enacted the one-child policy and has culturally instilled valuing boys over girls, which has created a huge population gap. The U.S. has politicized birth control and actively passes heartbeat bills to challenge Roe vs. Wade. Access to healthcare does liberate women, but there are many societal, cultural, and political systems in place that continue to hold us back.”

Drawing from her background in ceramics, Datchuk exposes the continued presence of racism and misogyny within the commerce of traditional decorative objects. At the same time, she utilizes the universal familiarity of functional wares as a way to incorporate messages of empowerment for marginalized individuals. Over time, her practice evolved from clay sculpture to mixed media, as she began to focus on domestic objects and feminine spaces. Through clay, synthetic hair, and video, she explores how Western beauty standards influence the Eastern Hemisphere, how non-white bodies are commodified and sold, and how women’s work—largely girls’ work—is a major economic driver, despite the inequities of its workers.

As a part of its exhibition programming, HCCC will invite the public to contribute to Datchuk’s installation by writing words of affirmation on porcelain beads that the artist will braid into a large-scale curtain made of synthetic hair.  Stretching nearly 22 feet long, the hair curtain represents the thresholds that individuals cross when encountering different cultural spaces. As symbols of solidarity and respect, the beads, adorned with positive affirmations, serve to metaphorically counteract cultural barriers for marginalized groups. HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall comments, “Utilizing her own identity as a catalyst, Datchuk illuminates the gendered and racial thresholds that exist between different cultural spheres, while also creating opportunities of support and empowerment by inviting individuals to share their stories.”

Later, Longer, Fewer: The Work of Jennifer Ling Datchuk is curated by HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall.


“Later, Longer, Fewer” Community Bead Project
August 14, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

“Later, Longer, Fewer” Community Bead Project
September 4, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Community Bead Project Celebration with Jennifer Ling Datchuk
October 2, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

“Later, Longer, Fewer” Pop-up Nail Salon & Talk with Jennifer Ling Datchuk and Gloss Nail Bar
December 9, 4:00 – 8:00 PM

We invite you to learn more about the exhibition by visiting the virtual learning content below.

 LEARN

Low-Vision Gallery Guide

EXPLORE

Watch Jennifer Ling Datchuk’s “Tame”

Learn about Datchuk’s Community Bead Project


Image credits:

  1. Jennifer Ling Datchuk, “Thick” (detail), 2019.  Fake hair, porcelain beads from Jingdezhen, China. 32 x 10 x 0.42 feet. Photo by Ansen Seale. Photo courtesy of Artpace.
  2. Jennifer Ling Datchuk, “Thick,” 2019. Fake hair, porcelain beads from Jingdezhen, China. 32 x 10 x 0.42 feet. Photo by Ansen Seale. Photo courtesy of Artpace.
  3. Jennifer Ling Datchuk, “How I came to my table” (detail), 2019. Porcelain table and stools made in collaboration with a table and stool factory in Jingdezhen, China; blue and white pattern transfers; cobalt decoration. 34 x 34 x 26 inches. Photo courtesy of Women & Their Work.
  4. Jennifer Ling Datchuk, “How I came to my table,” 2019. Porcelain table and stools made in collaboration with a table and stool factory in Jingdezhen, China; blue and white pattern transfers; cobalt decoration. 34 x 34 x 26 inches. Photo courtesy of Women & Their Work.

Attachments

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Suited Up: Contemporary Armor Making in Texas https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/suited-up-contemporary-armor-making-in-texas/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/suited-up-contemporary-armor-making-in-texas/#respond Sun, 28 Mar 2021 00:57:55 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/suited-up-contemporary-armor-making-in-texas/ HCCC proudly presents Suited Up: Contemporary Armor Making in Texas. The exhibition, featuring suits of armor inspired by historical re-enactments and iconic pop-culture warriors, explores the extraordinary craftsmanship behind armor making in the Lone Star State. Showcasing everything from traditional metalwork and leatherwork to 3D-printed and innovative do-it-yourself suits, the works on view exemplify the vibrant and diverse spectrum of fantastical armorers in Texas. Their handmade attire, often fashioned from favorite media figures or historical designs, represents an integral component of their practice.

Various communities of fantasy and re-enactment have kept age-old armor-making techniques alive, adding many unique chapters in recent years to the histories of these techniques. San Antonio-based Jessi Arntz’s love of armor making was born after she attended her first convention in high school and was inspired to try making her own cosplay armor. Later, inspired by the leather and metal aesthetics of the sci-fi genre, known as steampunk, Arntz began to embrace leatherworking and now creates custom leather armor full time as JAFantasyArt. Her work combines skilled leather craftsmanship with sophisticated surface-finishing techniques that can mimic a variety of materials, such as bone and scale. 

San Antonio-based Michael Lane began fashioning armor in the 1970s after joining his local chapter of The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an international community organized around the study and recreation of mainly pre-17th-century European culture, with an emphasis on live-action, role-play combat scenarios. Initially, Lane found that there was little armor available that could survive armed combat. In response, he began designing battle-ready armor using common materials, ranging from steel cooking bowls that he fashioned into helmets to wire that he used to create chainmail. Many of his sturdy pieces have protected their wearers for decades.

The women behind Nyvedna Productions and Lutavia Cosplay harness their passion for popular film and video-game franchises, such as Black Panther and Overwatch, to create with faithful detail the suits of armor worn by their beloved characters. Self-identified as members of the cosplay community, they synthesize craftsmanship, skill-sharing, and ingenuity to share their love for what they do by encouraging anyone who is interested to break onto the scene by making their own costumes. Their designs incorporate digitally designed and printed fabrics, as well as 3D-printed accessories with beadwork and faux-finishing techniques, demonstrating a visual acuity for bringing their characters to life through their wares.

The exhibition’s co-curators, Kathryn Hall and MarÍa-Elisa Heg, comment, “Although cosplay and re-enactment communities each have histories of engaging with craft, they have often been overlooked within the field. In particular, Texas has a strong representation of makers who carry on historic traditions of craft practice, while merging them with modern motifs and techniques, to create a new language of form and function that is entirely self-defined. The featured artists in this exhibition also wear their creations, giving them a deep understanding of the comfortability and wearability of these pieces. We are excited to recognize this talented group of makers who spark curiosity and wonder by bringing different realms of fantasy into physical form.”

Suited Up: Contemporary Armor Making in Texas is co-curated by HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall and HCCC Curatorial Fellow MarÍa-Elisa Heg.


We invite you to learn more about the exhibition by visiting the virtual learning content below.

LEARN

Low-Vision Gallery Guide

EXPLORE

Video: Michael Lane and his son suit up in Michael’s armor and engage in combat

Watch more videos featuring San Antonio armorer Michael Lane, as he unpacks different parts of his process of making a set of shoulder armor, known as pauldrons, for armed combat.

Video: Michael cuts the pattern for his pauldrons

Video: Michael demonstrates the articulation of a riveted pauldron by wearing it

Video: Michael shows off his finished piece, including the leather straps and additional plates for the arms

RELATED EVENTS

Facebook Live Event: Craft Chats: Suited Up: “Contemporary Armor Making in Texas” Tour with Kathryn Hall and María-Elisa Heg
Thursday, July 22, 2021, 1:00 – 1:30 PM

In-Person Workshop: Cosplay 101 – Prop Finishing
July 31, 2021, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Facebook Live Event: Craft Chats: Close Looking with Jessi Arntz of JAFantasyArt
August 5, 2021, 1:00 – 1:30 PM

HOH To Go
September 4, 2021, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

 

Image credits:

  1. Lutavia Cosplay, “Shieldmaiden Brigitte (from Overwatch),” 2019. PLA 3D prints, faux suede, cotton, faux fur, faux leather, acrylic paint, spray paint, NeoPixel LEDs, acrylic, resin, fiberglass, synthetic-fiber wig. 3D Models commissioned from Obysidiann Props; 3D prints printed by Habiteer Workshop; wig styled by Laura Licata; gems from ElementOfSupply (Etsy). Photo by Jonathan Vilches. Courtesy of artist.
  2. Lutavia Cosplay, “Shieldmaiden Brigitte (from Overwatch),” 2019. PLA 3D prints, faux suede, cotton, faux fur, faux leather, acrylic paint, spray paint, NeoPixel LEDs, acrylic, resin, fiberglass, synthetic-fiber wig. 3D Models commissioned from Obysidiann Props; 3D prints printed by Habiteer Workshop; wig styled by Laura Licata; gems from ElementOfSupply (Etsy). Photo by Jonathan Vilches. Courtesy of artist.
  3. Lutavia Cosplay, “Shieldmaiden Brigitte (from Overwatch),” 2019. PLA 3D prints, faux suede, cotton, faux fur, faux leather, acrylic paint, spray paint, NeoPixel LEDs, acrylic, resin, fiberglass, synthetic-fiber wig. 3D Models commissioned from Obysidiann Props; 3D prints printed by Habiteer Workshop; wig styled by Laura Licata; gems from ElementOfSupply (Etsy). Photo by Jonathan Vilches. Courtesy of artist.
  4. JAFantasyArt, “Copper Dragon Hunter Armor,” 2013-2016. Leather, feathers, suede. Photo by Jessi Santiago (@subtlelifephotography). Courtesy of the artist.
  5. Michael Lane, “Full Suit.” Sixteen-gauge steel. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  6. Michael Lane, video still of armed combatants in Lane’s armor, 2021. Video by Sydney Clark. Courtesy of artist.
  7. Michael Lane and Ben Lee, “SCA Helmet,” 1977. Steel. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  8. JAFantasyArt, “Monster Hunter-Inspired Nakarkos Bone Armor,” 2018. Leather, EVA foam, PLA, thermoplastic. Photo by Anthony Garcia (@jojodancerphotos). Courtesy of the artist.
  9. JAFantasyArt, “Monster Hunter-Inspired Nakarkos Bone Armor,” 2018. Leather, EVA foam, PLA, thermoplastic. Photo by Anthony Garcia (@jojodancerphotos). Courtesy of the artist.
  10. Nyvedna Productions, “Shuri Armor,” 2018. Neck piece: EVA black low-density foam, mini earth magnets, plastic; bodysuit: digitally designed and printed performance stretch fabric and vinyl decals; skirt: hand-stamped upholstery fabric and D-rings; belt buckle: 2 mm EVA foam; arm bands: pleather, stretch fabric, rubber tunes, snap magnet, elastic; gauntlets by RandMaskEnterprises. Photo by Ivan Flores (IG: @iflophoto). Courtesy of artist.
  11. Nyvedna Productions, “Shuri Armor,” 2018. Neck piece: EVA black low-density foam, mini earth magnets, plastic; bodysuit: digitally designed and printed performance stretch fabric and vinyl decals; skirt: hand-stamped upholstery fabric and D-rings; belt buckle: 2 mm EVA foam; arm bands: pleather, stretch fabric, rubber tunes, snap magnet, elastic; gauntlets by RandMaskEnterprises. Photo by Ivan Flores (IG: @iflophoto). Courtesy of artist.
  12. Nyvedna Productions, “Dora Milaje Armor,” 2018. Bodysuit and leggings:digitally designed and printed fabric; armor: worbla and paint; harness: hand-stitched upholstery pleather; belt: laser-cut wood made in collaboration with Chaos Costumes; arm bracers, calf bracers, and neck armor: felt, silver-leather cording; silver necklace: worbla cones, silver-plated beads; beaded tabard: beading, beading felt, pleather, bronze studs; red and yellow neckpiece: beading, beaded felt, velcro; ankle bracelets: beading, beaded felt, velcro, elastic wrap. Photo by Frank V. Schumacher. Courtesy of artist.

Attachments

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9ja Vision: The Fiber and Mixed-Media Work of Joy O. Ude https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/9ja-vision/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/9ja-vision/#respond Sat, 27 Mar 2021 22:41:39 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/9ja-vision/ HCCC is pleased to present 9ja Vision: The Fiber and Mixed-Media Work of Joy O. Ude, a solo exhibition by the Texas-based artist. For millions of Nigerians worldwide, the mobile-friendly shorthand, 9ja (or naija), evokes a shared identity and culture in constant dialogue with itself–a dialogue which, like Joy Ude’s work, crosses borders and generations. Ude says, “The works included in 9ja Vision represent the interweaving of Western and Nigerian cultures, as experienced from the perspective of an American-born child of Nigerian immigrants. In each series, I combine intergenerational anecdotes, cultural commentary, and altered traditional fiber techniques to construct experimental visual narratives. Through my work, I endeavor to expand understanding of the American immigrant experience beyond a singular characterization.”

Ude’s practice is grounded in the rich traditions of West African textiles and references their material history as a backdrop for the personal, familial, and historical narratives that she weaves into her work. Combining printed wax cloth with photo transfers of family members, Ude contextualizes her personal history within a complicated material legacy of colonialism, creating embellished pieces that are both joyful and haunting. She explores this legacy further in the form of skin-lightening soaps and products, reproducing them in resin and coconut oil and draping them in hand-tatted lace, a nod to oppressive Western beauty standards as well as the presence and burden of female servile labor in historical and familial settings. Her work is also an exciting part of the enormously energetic and internationally influential fashion scene coming out of the Nigerian homeland and diaspora communities.

Merging the joys and sorrows of her history with those of her family and community, Ude’s deeply personal work is also familiar to the tens of millions of Americans born into immigrant families. Drawing on her experiences growing up in Texas, the largest hub of Nigerian community and culture in the United States, Ude’s explorations of assimilation and the generational transference of culture have created a personal visual language that both celebrates and critiques. Through it, she asserts her identity and place in society, affirming the same for others who see themselves in the narratives she weaves.

9ja Vision: The Fiber and Mixed-Media Work of Joy O. Ude is curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg.

About Joy O. Ude
Mixed-media artist and designer Joy O. Ude’s fiber and sculptural work tackles questions around assimilation, race, cultural transference, and identity, examined through the lens of the immigrant experience in America. She earned a BFA in fashion design from the University of North Texas in 2005. Following her work in the fashion industry, Joy returned to UNT, where she earned an MFA in fiber arts in 2013. Her work has been exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PA), FJORD Gallery (PA), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (TN), and the American Textile History Museum (MA), among others. Ude’s work was also included in HCCC’s CraftTexas exhibition in 2012 and 2014. For more information about Joy O. Ude, please visit: www.joyoftextiles.com.

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We invite you to learn more about the exhibition by visiting the virtual learning content below.

LEARN

Low-Vision Gallery Guide

EXPLORE

Video: Watch Joy interview her family members about their experiences in the “Coming To America” Interview Series

RELATED EVENTS

HOH To Go: Quilted Magnets
June 5, 2021, 11:00 am – 1:00 PM

Live Event: Craft Chats: “9ja Vision” Tour with María-Elisa Heg and Joy O. Ude
June 17, 2021, 1:00 – 1:30 PM

Virtual Workshop: Coiled Basketry with Joy Ude
June 26, 2021, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM 

 


Image credits:

  1. Joy O. Ude, “9ja Gal,” 2019. Felt appliqué on Dutch wax cloth, laser-etched and cut acrylic and wood. Dimensions variable. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  2. Joy O. Ude, “Nna onye Ichie” (detail), 2014. Dutch wax cloth, muslin, machine embroidery. Toddler size 2T. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  3. Joy O. Ude, “Nna onye Ichie” , 2014. Dutch wax cloth, muslin, machine embroidery. Toddler size 2T. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  4. Joy O. Ude, “Chief I” (detail), 2013. Dutch wax cloth, image transfer, burlap, Pellon stabilizer, embroidery floss. 19.5″x13″x1″. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  5. Joy O. Ude, “LilyWhiteWash,” 2019. Cast urethane resin, hand-tatted lace. 6″x8″x9″. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  6. Joy O. Ude, “LilyWhiteWash” (detail), 2019. Cast urethane resin, hand-tatted lace. 6″x8″x9″. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  7. Joy O. Ude, “Matriarch IV,” 2014. Dutch wax cloth, image transfer, burlap, Pellon stabilizer, embroidery floss. 15.5″x12″x1″. Photo courtesy of the artist.

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Texas Master Series: James C. Watkins https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/texas-master-2021/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/texas-master-2021/#respond Wed, 02 Dec 2020 02:50:59 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/texas-master-2021/ If you’re unable to visit our exhibitions in person, learn about our free Virtual Group Tours.

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Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to present a solo exhibition by outstanding Lubbock ceramicist and educator, James C. Watkins, who was recently named a Texas Master by HCCC. Watkins joins an impressive roster of other Texas Master awardees—including curator Clint Willour (Houston) and artists Harlan Butt (Denton), Cindy Hickok (Houston), Rachelle Thiewes (El Paso), Piero Fenci (Nacogdoches), and Sandie Zilker (Houston)—recognized for their roles as career artists, professionals, or educators who have made a significant impact on the field of craft in Texas.

James C. Watkins has built an extraordinary career as a ceramicist and an educator. He received his MFA from Indiana University and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute.  His work has been featured in 40 solo exhibitions and 164 group exhibitions around the world, and he has pieces in 23 permanent collections, including the White House Collection of American Crafts at the Clinton Library (Little Rock, AR), the Shigaraki Institute of Ceramic Studies (Shigaraki, Japan), the Everson Museum (Syracuse, NY), and, most recently, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, TX).

With over 40 years of experience working with clay, Watkins masterfully constructs double-walled vessels, whose forms and surfaces are inspired by his memories of growing up in the South, encounters with nature, and his experience working in Asia. Building upon a history of tradition, he skillfully manipulates his clay surfaces using alternative firing techniques, creating lustrous and colorful surfaces enhanced by the atmosphere of the kiln. For some pieces, he collects dirt from the dust storms around his studio in order to create orange-to-black surfaces. As seen in his Double-Walled Basket (2018), Watkins also wields an iridescent rainbow of color through a fuming technique that he employs as the kiln cools down from a high firing.

Even after decades of experience, Watkins continues to evolve his practice through experimentation and by learning new techniques. In his Reflections series (2014), he etches silhouettes of his wares using a laser cutter, while multiple firings produce an array of warm hues that allow him to reference the synesthetic glow that emanates from vessels within the kiln.

As an educator, Watkins strives to impart his enthusiasm and passion for making. While in graduate school, Watkins taught as an associate instructor at Indiana University in Bloomington and later worked as a visiting professor at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, before moving to Lubbock, Texas. Between 1978 and 1983, he served as the director and organizer of the Mackenzie Terrace Pottery Center, a Lubbock-sponsored, public arts facility. Later, he taught architectural delineation for 35 years and architectural ceramics for 12 years at the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University (TTU). He served as the architectural delineation coordinator, from 1998 – 2003, and later became the assistant dean of undergraduate studies, from 2003 -2006.

During his tenure, Watkins received numerous awards, including the TTU President’s Excellence in Teaching Award and the Art on the Llano Estacada Legacy Award from TTU’s Museum Association. In 2005, he built a ceramics program in Vietnam at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture as a Senior Fulbright Scholar. In 2006, he received TTU’s highest honor, the Paul Whitfield Horn Professorship, an award recognizing outstanding research and other creative scholarly achievements; in 2019, he became a Paul Whitfield Horn Professor Emeritus, following his retirement.

Watkins is the author of several books, including Reflections Made of Memories (2019); Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques (2004) with Paul Andrew Wandless; and Architectural Delineation: Presentation Techniques and Projects (2000) with James T. Davis. He has written numerous articles for national and international magazines, including Ceramics MonthlyStudio PotterNew Ceramics: The European Ceramics Magazine, and China Ceramic Artist.

For more information about James C. Watkins, visit www.jcwclayworks.com.


We invite you to learn more about the exhibition by visiting the virtual learning content below.

Press Release

Low-Vision Gallery Guide

EXPLORE

Live Event: Texas Talks Art: James C. Watkins In Conversation With Kathryn Hall
February 9, 2021, 12:00 – 12:30 PM

Virtual Workshop: Terracotta Vessel Hand Building With Kirstin Willders
February 13, 2021, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Live Event: Craft Chats: Tour Of “Texas Master Series: James C. Watkins” With Kathryn Hall
March 25, 2021, 1:00 – 1:30 PM

Live Event: Artist-led Exhibition Tour With Anna Mayer And James C. Watkins 
Saturday, April 10, 2021 from 3:30 – 5:00 PM

Live Event: Craft Chats: “Exploring Alternative Firing Processes With Clay” Tour With Kathryn Hall 
Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 1:00 – 1:30 PM

Video: Discover James Watkins’ Clay Construction And Alternative Firing Techniques 

Image credits:

  1. Studio portrait of James C. Watkins. Photo by Bonni Oakes.
  2. James C. Watkins, “Guardian,” 2015. Low saggar-fired double-walled caldron. 18 x 21 inches. Photo by artist.
  3. James C. Watkins, “Fumed # 3- Double-walled Basket,” 2019. Fumed stoneware. 14 x 12 inches. Photo by artist.
  4. James C. Watkins, “Fumed # 2- Bottle Form,” 2020. Fumed gold luster. 26 x 22 inches. Photo by artist.
  5. James C. Watkins, “Fumed # 1- Bottle Form,” 2020. Fumed stoneware. 31 x 16 inches. Photo by artist.

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Weave Houston: Celebrating 71 Years of the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/weave-houston/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/weave-houston/#respond Wed, 11 Mar 2020 00:55:06 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/weave-houston/ If you’re unable to visit our exhibitions in person, learn about our free Virtual Group Tours.

RELATED EVENTS

“Weave Houston” Juror Awards Event
January 13, 2021, 6:00 PM on Facebook Live

Craft Chats: “Weave Houston” Tour with Maria-Elisa Heg & Molly Koehn
January 21, 2021, 1:00 PM on Facebook Live

Virtual Workshop: Circular Weaving with Molly Koehn
January 23, 2021, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

HOH To Go: Woven Bracelets
February 6, 2021, pick up 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to present Weave Houston: Celebrating 71 Years of the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston. Weave Houston showcases the history and diversity of Contemporary Handweavers of Houston’s membership, featuring works from emerging practitioners and longtime fiber artists. Noted fiber artist Dr. Mary Ruth Smith juried several awards for works that highlight exceptional craftsmanship and innovative use of materials.

The Contemporary Handweavers of Houston (CHH) was founded in 1949 as a chapter of the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas to provide a common meeting ground for weavers throughout the state. In its 70 years as a guild, the non-profit organization has promoted the education of and interest in handweaving and fiber-related crafts. This is accomplished through regular gatherings and demonstrations at schools, museums, and festivals throughout the Houston community, including the Livestock Show and Rodeo. CHH has an ongoing relationship with the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and sponsors a scholarship for its resident artists who are weavers and demonstrate or lead activities at HCCC events.

Former HCCC resident artist and CHH member Molly Koehn benefited greatly from this scholarship. “It was an unexpected blessing to be awarded the Tilly Marchwinski Scholarship for Excellence in Handweaving when I first arrived at HCCC. The scholarship funded supplies during my residency and allowed me to create without worrying about finding additional funding. It was also such a pleasure to learn about Tilly and her involvement in weaving and the guild!”

Visitors to Weave Houston will delight in the variety of fiber works on display–everything from traditional wall hangings to unconventional sculpture–all celebrating the contributions of this time-honored artist guild.

Learn more about the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston at www.weavehouston.org.

About Juror Dr. Mary Ruth Smith
Dr. Mary Ruth Smith is a former CHH member and current professor of art in fiber arts and fabric surface design at Baylor University in Waco, TX. Starting with coursework in home economics, her career has led her to a variety of disciplines from art education to the visual arts. At Baylor, she created a studio concentration in fabric surface design. Over the past 35 years, her hand-stitched artwork has been exhibited extensively internationally.

Image credits:

  1. Christine Miler, Golden Glow, 2020, woven metal fabric with stone, bead, and crochet embellishment. 21 in x 16 in x 3 in. Image cred Gabrielle Pruitt.
  2. Kyla Crawford, They Are Waiting, 2020, paper, ink, thread. Dimensions variable. Image courtesy of artist.
  3. Barbara Esterholm, Cityscape at night, 2020, handwoven cotton. 21.5 in x 25 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  4. Linda J. Thompson, Silk Wraps, 2018, fiber. 5 in x 8 in x 2.5 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  5. Tracy Kaestner, Jacket of Many Colors, 2020, handwoven silk. Image courtesy of the artist.
  6. Diane Ferguson, Going in Circles, 2020, stitched shibori, embroidered and indigo dyed fiber. 13.5 in x 40 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  7. Blaine Davis, Blönduós Tapestry, 2018, wool, cotton, synthetics. 22 in x 30 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  8. Lynn S. Williams, Remembered, 2020, silk and thread. 18 in x 15 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  9. Marian J. Carlson, Sunlight Snow, 2018, silk and novelty yarn. 75.5 in x 6.25 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  10. Pat Powell, In Celebration of the Grape, 2020, fiber. 17 in x 7 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  11. Therese Coucher, Grey Fox with Yaupon, 2018, wool, silk, cotton and linen on cotton warp. 41 in x 32 in. Image courtesy of the artist.
  12. Photo of Weave Houston juror, Dr. Mary Ruth Smith. Photo courtesy Krista Latendresse.
  13. Images 13-16, Contemporary Handweavers of Houston members lead attendees of HCCC’s Hands-on Houston Family Festival in an indigo-dyeing activity. Photos by Katy Anderson.
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FORMS OF INHERITANCE: THE WORK OF ANNA MAYER https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/forms-of-inheritance-the-work-of-anna-mayer/ https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/forms-of-inheritance-the-work-of-anna-mayer/#respond Wed, 12 Feb 2020 03:45:12 +0000 https://crafthouston.org/exhibition/forms-of-inheritance-the-work-of-anna-mayer/ If you’re unable to visit our exhibitions in person, learn about our free Virtual Group Tours.

Jump to virtual learning content and related events.

HCCC presents Forms of Inheritance: The Work of Anna Mayer, an exhibition of ceramic and bronze sculptures that explores humanity’s reckoning with mortality and demonstrates the fragility and fierceness of the natural world.

Anna Mayer’s social and sculptural practice explores the impact of humanity throughout geologic time, with a focus on the temporal relationship between humans and the land beyond an individual’s life span. Her work in the exhibition reflects deeply upon the realities of death and decay. Drawing upon a language of mourning and burial practices, she uses materials like raw clay and porcelain dinnerware to communicate a narrative of what remains when people die and what is left for others to inherit. By grinding pieces of dinnerware she inherited and mixing the bits with raw clay to give it a new texture and purpose, she creates sculptures that appear to seep and bubble-up from the ground.  These ceramic works are juxtaposed with a pair of bronze hands and feet that are cast from a composite of Mayer’s own body, along with the fingers and toes of others from communities in Los Angeles and Houston, where the artist has lived. By combining attributes from different people to form a new body, Mayer identifies a need for a society that relies on the collective strength of individuals.

Mayer’s work also bears witness to extreme weather and humans’ effects on the planet. In her practice, she incorporates raw wild clay, collected from areas of drought, urban construction, and geothermal activity, from Texas to California, and uses analogue firing techniques, which do not require electricity or gas. The artist is fascinated by the transformative power of fire to both incinerate and create, giving new life to repurposed materials. In 2008, as part of her project, Fireful of Fear, Mayer placed 12 clay tablets in the canyons in and around Malibu, California, to be fired by eventual wildfires. Since then, six of those tablets have been fired by wildfires. She describes the surface of those wildfired pieces as, “a smoky swirl of ash and earth, through which the carved words of the sculpture speak, as if through a fog.”  In the last decade, the pieces have become markers for global warming, as wildfires around the world have increased in number and intensity.  Through this ongoing project, Mayer welcomes the unknown and recognizes the complex relationship humans have with the environment and disaster. The exhibition showcases various aspects of Fireful of Fear, including some of the wildfired tablets, as well as photographs taken at the sites where they were buried and annual letters written by the artist to mark the project’s anniversary.

HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall comments, “In a culture that privileges autonomy and self-reliance, Mayer’s sculpture offers a new way of being that strikes a balance between communal action and individual agency. Her work provides us with an understanding of the shared responsibility that we have to care for the world around us and those that inhabit it.”

Forms of Inheritance: The Work of Anna Mayer is curated by HCCC Curator Kathryn Hall and funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. Additional funding was provided by the University of Houston Division of Research.

About Anna Mayer

Anna Mayer’s practice is sculptural and social, with an emphasis on hand-built ceramics. Her methodology emerges from enacting formative site-specific projects in Southern California, an interest in the relationship between speech and consciousness, and extensive engagement with the various social practices and feminist histories of Los Angeles, CA and Houston, TX. Her work has been exhibited at Night Gallery (CA), Galerie Catherine Bastide (Brussels, Belgium), Ballroom Marfa (TX), Kendall Koppe (UK), Commonwealth & Council (CA), Klaus Von Nichtssagend (NY), Machine Project (CA), Hammer Museum (CA), Luckman Gallery at Cal State (CA), and Pomona Museum (CA). In 2014, she, along with UK artist Laura Aldridge, enacted a large-scale social sculpture at the Glasgow International Biennial. In addition to her solo practice, Mayer works with Jemima Wyman as part of the collaborative duo, CamLab, which has staged events and exhibited in Los Angeles at MOCA, the Hammer Museum, and Armory Center for the Arts. Most recently, CamLab enacted a large-scale social-practice project at the University of Houston. Mayer was the assistant director of the LA-based Institute For Figuring for nearly a decade. She is currently the assistant professor of sculpture at the University of Houston.


We invite you to learn more about the exhibition by visiting the virtual learning content below.

Press Release

Low-Vision Gallery Guide

EXPLORE

Virtual Workshop: Terracotta Vessel Hand Building with Kirstin Willders
February 13, 2021 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Live Event: Craft Chats: “Forms Of Inheritance Tour” with Anna Mayer & Kathryn Hall
February 25, 2021 from 1:00 – 1:30 PM

HOH TO GO: Clay Pinch Pots
March 6, 2021, pick up from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Live Event: Artist-led Exhibition Tour with Anna Mayer and James C. Watkins
Saturday, April 10, 2021 from 3:30 – 5:00 PM

Live Event: Craft Chats: “Exploring Alternative Firing Processes With Clay” tour with Kathryn Hall
Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 1:00 – 1:30 PM

Video: Anna Mayer breaks up inherited dinnerware for her  Mourning Ware series

Video: Ceramics + Geologic Time panel 

Image credits:

  1. Anna Mayer, side view of “Obvara Mourning Ware (Starfish),” 2019. Inherited crushed dinnerware embedded in Texas clay, obvera fired, niachrome wire. 15.5 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Photo by Jacob Dotson
  2. Anna Mayer, “Obvara Mourning Ware (Starfish),” 2019. Inherited crushed dinnerware embedded in Texas clay, obvera fired, niachrome wire. 15.5 x 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Photo by Jacob Dotson
  3. Anna Mayer, “We Are Not Only Anything (Left Hand),” 2013-2014. Bronze. Edition of three. Each hand is 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Photo by the artist.
  4. Anna Mayer, “Fireful of Fear: Store These Records in a Safe Deposit Box or Other Secure Place (Kanan Dume),” 2008-2018/ Wildfired ceramic. 19 x 16 x 3 inches. Photo by the artist.
  5. Anna Mayer, “Fireful of Fear,” 2008 – present. Process image from the retrieval of a wildfired ceramic sculpture from the charred landscape in Malibu, CA, 2018. Photo by Poppy Coles.
  6. Anna Mayer, “Fireful of Fear,” 2008 – present. Process image from the retrieval of wildfired ceramic sculptures from the charred landscape in Malibu, CA, 2019. Photo by Poppy Coles.
  7. Anna Mayer, “Upside-Down Mourning Ware Vessel with Mourning Ware Coral and Funeral Fringe,” 2019. Inherited crushed dinnerware embedded in Obsidian clay, cut-up discarded inner tube. 32 x 16 x 21 inches. Photo by Esteban Pulido.
  8. Anna Mayer, detail of “Upside-Down Mourning Ware Vessel with Mourning Ware Coral and Funeral Fringe,” 2019. Inherited crushed dinnerware embedded in Obsidian clay, cut-up discarded inner tube. 32 x 16 x 21 inches. Photo by Esteban Pulido.

       Image credit homepage slideshow: Installation view of “Forms of Inheritance,” by Katy Anderson.

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