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Welcome to the Oakwood Arts Insider Newsletter! As a supporter of Oakwood Arts, we are thrilled to share with you this first-ever donor newsletter. In these quarterly emails, you will hear directly from OA artists, mentors, staff, and others about their practice, creativity, and what OA means to them. First up is OA’s Artist-in-Residence Stephanie J. Woods.
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Q & A With Stephanie J. Woods
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The OA Artist Residency program invites internationally-recognized artists and creatives to produce community-based projects. As our 2020-21 Artist-in-Residence, Stephanie has mounted public exhibitions at our building, created new work, conducted community workshops, and offered her talent and insight to invigorate OA’s programs. Stephanie has recently been awarded an artist residency at Black Rock Senegal, a residency program founded by Kehinde Wiley in 2019. Read on to learn more!
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Tell us a little about yourself and your artistic practice.
I am a multimedia artist born in Seneca, SC, and raised in Charlotte, NC, though currently I am based in Richmond, VA. I create textile, photography, video, and community-engaged projects that reference Black American culture and the southern American experience.
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Stephanie J. Woods, Bruce Hill BLVD, 2020, family photos transferred onto hand-cut and sewn quilt tops, textile foil, heat transfer vinyl, Sharpe, textile paint, and polished furniture vinyl. 6ft X 7ft
Bruce Hill BLVD was made while in residence at Oakwood Arts.
"The series features large-scale textile paintings incorporating mixed media. Polished furniture vinyl laminates the textiles, turning them sculptural. Woods is critically engaged with black performativity, creating with careful and dangerous skill what may be discovered as the ‘Black Venn Diagram.’ The incomprehensible and overlapping relationship between truth and contradiction, between inheritance and advancement, and the impossible labor of black narrative and transparency.” - Laura Neal
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What made you want to work with Oakwood Arts?
What sparked my interest in working with Oakwood and the community was the engagement with youth. When I was younger, art was not a thing; it wasn't even an option. So, I need to share my experiences with being an artist with children and show them that this is an option. Also, being a part of Oakwood Arts has allowed me to develop a sense of community!
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Stephanie working with teens from Blueskyfund‘s OLI program, collaboratively designing and painting “Intuitive Vessels” for the future edible garden at the Oakwood Arts Park.
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OA's mission is to make art and creative careers accessible to all: can you talk a little about why this resonates with you?
OA's mission resonates with me because when I was an undergrad looking for graduate schools to apply one of my professors told me that VCUarts " is not for people like you." I have even had a professor ask me, "why should I care about your Black problems?" Now, as I stand in front of students, this time as a professor at VCUarts, I am proud to say that I did not allow these hostile environments to keep me from succeeding. Yet, many students are not as lucky.
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What advice would you have for an emerging artist or a student who is considering a career as a professional artist or creative?
Persistence and practice!
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Please share your upcoming projects and what's in store for you!
I have an exhibition and community project titled "we drank from a well, and it was good," opening at OA soon (editor's note: opening on May 22 at 3511 P Street)! I am very excited about this show! I am also flying to Africa this summer for an artist residency at Black Rock Senegal.
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Want to know more about Stephanie's work and her residency with Oakwood Arts? Click below to learn more.
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