This exhibition was in process for two years and is a combination of my work abroad at Thread, an artist’s residency in Senegal, West Africa, and Gather:Make:Shelter, a citywide creative collaborative in Portland, OR. Both projects aim to enrich the lives of those in their community through creative practice and artistic pursuits with a focus on collaboration, engagement, skill-building, and connection. All of this work is related as I weave together life and work, which is a direct response to the energetic ties between all of us, thus lessening the miles between us conceptually and physically. It is increasingly important to me that all of my work, no matter its form, moves towards light, weaving us together and creating levity and beauty along the way.