Story Stitchers held a portfolio preview for artists and writers in the Curating Teen Voices: Coming of Age portfolio at the Stitchers Storefront Studio last night. Teen contributors and their families attended to get a sneak peek at the new work prior to the public exhibition opening. Mariana Parisca, Story Stitchers artist in residence and the project leader, was on hand to discuss the portfolio with proud families.
Curating Teen Voices: Coming of Age is a time capsule of teenage voices combined with adult artists living in St. Louis in 2015, all reacting to a critical and unique time in the history of race relations, gun violence, police roles and community relationships in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective is a nonprofit organization where artists and urban youth collect stories, reframe and retell them through art to promote understanding, civic pride, and literacy. The project eloquently puts a megaphone to unheard voices, generating new respect for minority youth and brushing implicit biases away.
7513 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton MO 63105
March 2-25, 2017
Opening March 2, 6-9 PM
March 25, 4 PM Poetry Reading
The project contains an edition of 10 portfolios, each containing 30 archival digital prints. Each portfolio is housed in a handcrafted archival box created by Saint Louis Story Stitchers artist-in-residence Mariana Parisca. A limited number of sheets of six images will be available. Artists represented include Heather Bennett, Michael Byron, Carmon Colangelo, Addoley Dzegede, Ann Hamilton, Kahlil Irving, Buzz Spector, and selected youth. Proceeds will benefit the ongoing work of the Saint Louis Story Stitchers.
Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Curating Teen Voices: Coming of Age is based on the Youth Art and Writing Contest, 2015 and Curating Teen Voices Workshop Series which were supported in part by the Kranzberg Arts Center, Yvette and John Dubinsky Family Foundation, Susan Sanders Block and The Designing Block, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Regional Arts Commission.
