The Ties That Bind: A Collaborative #NoPipelines Art and Story Project, will celebrate an opening reception on Friday, May 3rd from 5 to 7 PM at the Staunton Innovation Hub in Downtown Staunton.
The fruit of a dozen social braid-tying events in our region during the month of April will go on display Friday May 3rd in Staunton. Eco-artist and poet Amelia L. Williams will assemble the more than 150 fabric braids tied by people all over our area to register their opposition to the proposed ACP and MVP “unnatural gas” pipelines. Also on display, quotations from their stories placed on the backdrop of gorgeous landscape and nature photos by local photographer Max Johnson. The installation will feature these braids winding through and around objects that signify the effects the pipelines could have on ordinary people, from farmers to householders.
Also during May, there will be 2 braiding events at the Innovation Hub for the public to come in, and make a braid to add to the installation’s 150-plus braids, and add to the groundswell of intertwined voices opposing the proposed ACP and MVP pipelines. See here for the May 11th and May 23rd workshops. Fabric will be available or you can make your braid more individual by bringing fabric (clothing/bedding scraps) from home.
The following local organizations have hosted braid-tying social events: Wild Virginia, Writer House, Wild Ink, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Virginia Student Environmental Coalition (Charlottesville and Blacksburg), Write Climate, Friends of Nelson Spruce Creek Gathering, Rapunzel’s Coffee and Books, and the Spitzer Art Center.
For more background see www.wildink.net and Facebook @AmeliaLWillamsPoet, [email protected]