McMaster University – School of the Arts
|
Mend and Make Well is an ongoing, participatory artwork about the material items we cherish that tell the stories of our lives. All are invited to bring or mail items in need of mending. Jessica mends, photographs and records the the personal stories – a favorite memory, experience or emotion captured in cloth. She teaches and shares historic traditions of fabric craftsmanship and repair, sustainability and conservation to the public. She sets up her mending station at festivals, parks, exhibitions and other community locations, where she mends items for free, using traditional machine and hand sewing, darning, knitting and crochet techniques. As this is an ongoing project, new submissions are always welcome, if you have an item in need of repair, please contact me. |
Mend and Make Well was hosted as a part of my artist in residence program. Students in the SOTA program and members of the public were invited to open studios held every Monday from January to April 2018 to learn mending techniques and participate in the Mend and Make Well series.