OAKWOOD ARTS’ 2020-21 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCe
STEPHANIE J. WOODS
Oakwood Arts invites internationally recognized artists to produce community-based projects through our artist residency program. Oakwood Arts artists-in-residence are invited yearly to engage with our organization, our space, and our community. Artists-in-residence are encouraged to work with Oakwood Arts students, staff, neighbors, and affiliated organizations on artistic projects culminating in an exhibition open to the public. The exhibitions serve as an extension of not only the artist's body of work, but also their relationship with the community and its history.
WHY OAKWOOD ARTS?
“What initially 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, and because I was not exposed to the arts, or the opportunities available to artists I had to do a lot of catching up. So, it is important for me to share with children my experiences with being an artist and to also show them that this is an option. Also, I grew up in Charlotte NC, so I am not as familiar with the community here as I would like to be. I think being a part of Oakwood would allow me to develop a sense of community, and would hopefully allow me to build long lasting relationships.” -S.J.W.
A Radiant Revolution I, 2018, Burlap dyed with sweet tea, woven brass chains, t-shirt, textile foil, polished furniture vinyl, red tablecloth, gold rope, dresser mirror frame, and upholstered taffeta print. 9ft X 5.5ft.
Photo Credit: Johannes Barfield
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE STEPHANIE J. WOODS
Stephanie J. Woods is a multimedia artist from Charlotte, NC creating textile, photography, video, and community-engaged projects. Woods earned an MFA from UNC Greensboro and is the recipient of several residencies and fellowships, including Halcyon Arts Lab social impact fellowship, the Fine Arts Work Center fellowship, ACRE Residency, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Ox-Bow School of Art, and Artists’ Residency, and Penland School of Craft. She has exhibited her work at the Mint Museum Uptown, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Art + Culture, and Smack Mellon. Her work has also been featured in publications such as Art Papers, Burnaway, and the Boston Art Review. Additionally, her work has been notably recognized by the Chenven Foundation, the South Arts State Fellowship, and the North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award. Immediately following Stephanie’s residency at Oakwood Arts she served as one of the 2021 artists in residence at Black Rock Senegal, a residency program founded by Kehinde Wiley in 2019.
Bruce Hill Blvd., 2020, 5.5 x 7 ft., Family photo transferred onto hand-cut and sewn quilt top, textile foil, heat transfer vinyl, Sharpe, textile paint, and polished furniture vinyl. This work was included in SOLSTICE, our summer benefit auction, in June 2021, and was purchased by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for their permanent collection.
VISION
I plan to spend a lot of time researching black history so that I can learn more about the city and the people that grew up here. One way of doing this would be to build upon a community-engaged project I began in 2018 titled “Relax. Relate.Release.” “Relax. Relate. Release” invites participants to take a seat and write a response to a question that is tossed into the center of the installation. The goal is to stimulate reflection and conversations in what I consider to be a meditative space. Since beginning this project I have received 321 written responses, from mostly adults. However, I would like to involve the youth more in the second interaction of the project. So, I am reimagining the aesthetics of the piece, as well as the participation component. I want there to be more play!
ARTIST STATEMENT
My body of work examines the cognitive effects of forced cultural assimilation, and how performance is an ingrained part of our identity. This includes the effects of intergenerational trauma, the politicization of afro hair, black people, and the everyday coping devices and affirmations we established to survive in america. I further explore these concepts through the use of textiles, photography, video, community-engaged projects and material language. My multimedia works utilize symbolic imagery and materials that reference Black american culture and the southern experience; such as hair weave, satin bonnets, afro hair, and sweet tea. Often in my photography and video work I will capture portraits of women wearing handmade objects that simultaneously reference erasure and the preservation of cultural heritage. Generally, my photographs are transferred onto satin fabric using dye-sublimation techniques and upholstered inside of pre-existing utilitarian objects or handmade made structures that I build, giving the work a sculptural feel. However, my community-engaged projects invite participants to interact and become a part of the process through the use of collaborative outreach, multi-sensory engagement, and language. These collaborative projects aim to create meditative spaces for those who wish to maintain their dignity in the face of prejudice, aggression, and violence.
to learn more about Stephanie j. Woods and their recent exhibitions
