Statement:

Each story of accessing abortion in the U.S. is unique and important. According to the most recent numbers from the Guttmacher Institute 10,690 Oregonians accessed abortion services in a year. This project honors each of those people’s experience, as well as each person who, for myriad reasons was unable to access healthcare they needed, with a ceramic flower. 

In addition to being an artist and educator, I am a long time reproductive clinic worker, working for many years as a clinic assistant and surgical assistant at Planned Parenthood in abortion services and at Bread and Roses Women’s Health Center, an independent abortion provider. 

The conceptual thread that runs through my work, both sculptural and functional, is the intersection of craft and social justice, specifically reproductive justice. In each project, I explore ways that craft, which has been used by humans for communication and communion since the beginnings of human culture, can be used in the movement to change hearts and minds and to create connection between folks around topics that may be seen as incendiary.

10,690 Wild Flowers began in Portland, OR in March of 2017 in an effort to combine craft with reproductive justice and to funnel funds from the art world toward the local reproductive justice movement. I created flower bricks and vases to hold handmade ceramic flowers made by participants during community discussion workshops and other events. We created flowers on the Washington State Capitol steps during a NARAL rally, in the c:3 Initiative gallery in collaboration with local organizations Forward Together, Western State Center and Momentum Alliance and in a local bar, to name just a few locations. These flowers were displayed in my vases in the gallery, at two Planned Parenthood Locations and at the Downtown Women’s Center abortion clinic and were for sale. One hundred percent of sales were donated to the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, an abortion fund for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. NAAF helps people pay for abortion services as well as travel costs associated with accessing that care. The first iteration in Portland, OR raised $350 for abortion access.

In Pittsburgh, all funds raised will be donated to the Western Pennsylvania Fund for Choice. 

Vases with flowers: 50% of work proceeds will go to materials and travel, 50% of work proceeds will be donated to Western Pennsylvania Fund for Choice.

Flowers: 100% of work proceeds will go to Western Pennsylvania Fund for Choice.

My goal is to make 10,690 flowers.