Adding words

Yesterday, in addition to our discarded clothing, we began adding silk strips that were stamped with words that spoke of other things we might leave behind. The transparent silk organza is torn and frayed, and tied inside the cocoon to make a lining, like the feathers a goose or the fur a rabbit might use to line a nest. Fortunately, one of the students thought to turn the cocoon inside-out while we worked, making the tying much easier. Above is a view of the inside-out cocoon.

We began to plan our participation in Art Saves Lives, the annual school-wide visual art exhibit that will be held on May 12. The art class will have an in-school field trip that day, during which they will install their work and prepare it for presentation to the public that afternoon and evening. We talked about the ways we might engage the visitors, inviting them to participate in the making of the cocoon, whether by continuing to braid and weave, or by stamping and adding their own words to the lining. We also talked about the connections between the folded envelope quilts and the cocoon that we were making, and the ways we might connect them more clearly.