ST. JOSEPH, MINN. – An embroidery, beading, print, and photography art project that features Minnesota farmers, local artists, locally sourced yarn and encourages community collaboration is coming to the Minnesota Street Market food co-op (27 W Minnesota St, St Joseph, MN 56374) Tuesday, April 12. The project titled “People of Harvest: An Embroidered Art & Idea Exchange” embellishes photographs and prints with yarn through the contributions of many community members. The kickoff event will take place at the co-op from 4 to 6 p.m.
The project comes from Northland College Filmmaker-in-Residence Paulette Moore who is bringing the project from her Arts for Societal Change class to students at CSB/SJU via an art class taught by local artist Mary Bruno of Bruno Press.
The project takes images from the Bruno Press 2016 calendar Homegrown in Minnesota—captured on the farm as a photograph, then carved into lino-block, then printed via the letterpress —and morphs them into an embroidery canvas. The twelve images of Minnesota farms (including nearby Dancing Bears, Bakers’ Acres, and Dancing the Land) will become textile art through the individual contributions of hundreds of strangers.
Collectively, over one month, individuals will embroider prints of the farm images using a needle and thread and locally sourced fiber, collaborating on the embellishment by adding just one stitch – or as many as they would like. The interactive art installation will be available on the walls of the co-op until May 14, and anyone, at any time, is encouraged to take the canvases off the wall and add to them.
“This project is about the interweaving of communities, building relationships, and raising awareness of our local food systems. Artful interactions provide space for the transformation of communities and provides an opening for serendipity” said Danielle Taylor, local project coordinator and an alumna of Northland College.
Participants of all skill levels are invited to join.
“This project focuses on the ways in which the harvest is an act of embodiment, liberation, and healing for farming and foraging communities. It intends to honor and highlight local harvesters and farmers and the traditional and sustainable methods that they utilize,” said Paulette Moore, filmmaker and educator.
The final prints will be available for purchase at the culmination of the project. All proceeds from the sale of the prints will go to the Bad River Food Sovereignty Youth Program.
The finale of the art project will culminate on Saturday, May 14, with the 7 p.m. film screening of From Wisconsin With Love at the Minnesota Street Market. The film provides the perspective of the northern Wisconsin community that in 2014 beat back what would have been the world’s largest open-pit taconite mine in pristine forest on the shores of Lake Superior.
This film was created in collaboration with Moore and Northland College documentary film students.”The film explores the abundance and economy that is often overlooked in the world’s wild places and offers dialogue and action around harvest that is responsible to and reciprocal with a connected local community. Moore will be at the showing of the film to share the inspiration behind the documentary and to answer questions.