The Knead's Art Show

        The creation process of this art show was absolute magic. Our walls were graced with Black art from top to bottom. We made sure to include immersive elements to bridge the gap between the artists and members of the audience. Our immersive “Whatchu Knead? Love, Emotion, Humanity, Identity?” wall entailed pins for folks to place which Knead theme they resonated most with. Another station had a blackout poetry station made with excerpts from our writers' pieces to be made new.

        Though it is technically called an art “show”, we like to describe it more so as an art telling. With “The Sewing: “All The Rivers Lead To Home” being the title of this event, we wanted this to be a sacred gathering space for everyone. A space where all the different paths of our humanhood were sewn together to bring us to the same place at the same time. The Knead is a newfound home for anyone who allows us to welcome them. 

        For artists, a blank canvas, page, etc. is the most exciting step when it is backed by pure passion. We looked at the empty walls and floors of The Bakery Atlanta and turned them into a home. Both physically in appearance and metaphorically in heart, home. Our mission statement is that “We Knead Each Other”, and everything The Knead does is to honor this declaration.

Once the show ended, there were people expressing how they needed this event which helped them navigate love, grief, joy, art as activism, and what it means to be human. Everyone involved from the artists, to the audience, to the directors, to the venue managers, and anyone who was a witness, kneaded this art telling.

 

☆Nena Hayes, Founder of The Knead