More and more people began coming.

On January 21st, I went with Kimberly to the Women’s March here in Asheville. People gathered slowly. I had heard a lot of women say they were not going because they were afraid it might become violent. So  we were really surprised when large crowds seemed to materialize out of thin air.

ASHEVILLE WOMEN MARCH IN JANUARY 2017

The chant to “Make America Great Again” implies returning to the 1970s. Like many women, I can’t believe it either.

YOUNG WOMEN MADE THEIR PRESENCE FELT

They are our future leaders.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Things are better and racism is still a sore point.

HUMOR NEEDED

And it was provided!!!

PREPARING FOR THE EVENT

And Setting up.

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 THE MIRACLE OF TRANSFORMING HATE 

Photograph by Dan R. Talley

Transforming Hate: An Artist’s Book, was completed this year, eight years after it was started. We did not know if it was possible, but in March we pushed to get a few copies ready for an April PHOTO+CRAFT presentation. Entitled “Making and Meaning: Photobooks and the Social Fabric”, this Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center panel with Alejandro Cartagena, was one of thirteen events organized by Warren Wilson College here in Asheville.

The month before going to press, however, the Transforming Hate book design elements changed to include color and some unusual papers. This gave the book much more depth, but when the printing estimate increased by $10,000.00, my heart sank. Where was that amount of money going to come from? It had taken me a whole year to raise $7,000.00!

When I turned to my supporters and asked for additional money, 5 people donated the extra $10,000.00 needed, to put the book on the press, within 5 days. That was truly a miracle!

Me and Susan Rhew at Blue Ridge Printing

Susan explained the “whys and wherefores” as she proofed each page.

In addition to these angels, 60 people made donations to the project through NYFA’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program in 2013. It was their support and belief in the project that helped me continue working on the book. To you guys, a big “Thank You.” Your names are listed inside the book.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

“Hate is a fence built to signify time and place.

When I was growing up

schools,

churches,

hospitals,

libraries,

restaurants,

and movie theaters

were off limits to me because of my race.”

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Edition numbered signed copies of Transforming Hate: An Artist’s Book may be purchased for $50.00 from:
Vicky & Bill Stewart
Vamp & Tramp, Booksellers, LLC
E-mail : mail@vampandtramp.com 
Telephone : (205) 824-2300

Vamp & Tramp has placed the book in collections across the country.
Also available on Amazon.

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I hate to admit that I am essentially stuck in the 1980s when I saw my first artists’ books at Printed Matter below Canal Street in Manhattan. It was thought that artists’ books might become an inexpensive way to make art more accessible. Although most of my books don’t end up being inexpensive, my intention for my books is that they be produced inexpensively.

Each of my books has had its’ own process to which I have had to conform. As much as I try to control that process, the Transforming Hate book taught me, as no previous book had, that I am the book’s servant not its’ master. I ended up feeling like I had been recruited to come along for the ride.

Below begins sketches of the project’s beginning:

The post The Transforming Hate Artist Book Path Part#1 appeared first on Clarissa Sligh.

It had not been my intent to make a “grand” project, but to simply create an artist’s book that explored the struggle to make an artwork that might transform the white supremacist books that had been provided to me to work from.

After the book, The Proposal,  was accepted by Radius Books  for publication, I found I needed to raise money for its production. I then began my education in fund raising.  It would have been much simpler if I had done a “Kickstarter” promotion. Working alone here in Asheville, NC and creating an adequate donor base to get a campaign off the ground that would succeed within six to eight weeks seemed impossible.

Additionally, I wanted to expand the vision beyond the publication of the book by creating an installation around the concept of transformation. Despite not having an idea of how I would do that, I chose Artspire as the conduit through which to raise money for the project (including the book publication) because it allowed me time and space for working on the project.

The question became “how to express this bigger vision to others?” I knew it was important to start with myself, to create my own narratives of transformation and to meditate on and explore feelings of anger and fear and rage within myself.

While preparing images of my work for the new website, I revisited my “Witness Project,” an earlier installation begun in Washington, D.C.  and was surprised how close to the “Transforming Hate” project it seemed to be. “The Witness Project,” was about reflecting on a time—on a period in our lives—and asking the viewer if they would share that with me, the artist. I never expected the depth of emotions, of the feelings expressed in those responses. But, with “Transforming Hate,” I would like to go beyond reflection, to create an installation that will take us to another level. It sounds impossible. It seems impossible. But that is my intention.

To make a tax-deductible donation visit the link: Artspire Fundraising Page

The post Framing Transforming Hate appeared first on Clarissa Sligh.

To me, the process of raising money for projects was taking time away from my real work. Today I am learning to modify that concept.

Background: I grew up, in the 1940’s and 1950’s, in a poor black working class neighborhood outside Washington, D.C. Asking someone outside the family for help or for money was seen as bringing shame on the family. If the family could not provide what you wanted, then you were to “do without.” But the hardest part was what went on inside our family. Asking my father for a dollar was asking to be humiliated. You never saw a man get so pissed off and angry. And you never forgot his words or the way he screwed up his face.

Even if times were tight and bills overdue, money was whispered about. All kinds of unspoken deeds were done so that our large family’s needs were met. But body language and looks say a lot more than words; so at a young age, I figured out ways to earn money for school supplies and things like that in order not to ask for money.

Today, even asking for money that owed to me is not easy to do. When I support causes, with no expectation of anything in return, I feel good that I can help. But when I ask for a donation or contribution, even when the money is not for one of my projects, I feel like I am begging and that makes me feel bad.

So I was really surprised when an artist asked me why I had not asked her to donate to my Transforming Hate project. Knowing that she did not have that much for herself, I had not approached her.

But she said to me, “I like to support things that I care about. Your project would give me an opportunity to help with something that matters to me.”

If you would like tax-deductible donation, visit this link: Artspire Fundraising Page 

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Over the past 30 years, I have used different mediums and subject matter. This means I needed a website structure to present the projects in a way that is not object oriented. For starters I decided to separate everything into themes like Mel Chin did on his site. Themes allow me to consider the ways in which my work has been categorized and gives me the opportunity to set up different visual sequences.

I really enjoy revisiting the images. Many were done more than 15 years ago. Seeing them takes me back to the time and place I spent with each person – reconnects those moments for me. I shall be forever grateful to the people that allowed me in their life.

To make a tax-deductible donation visit the link: Artspire Fundraising Page

The post New Website in Progress appeared first on Clarissa Sligh.

I have thought of making additional versions of The Proposal. However, it’s too easy for me to get lost in the process of doing makeovers, so I will wait until work with the publisher begins.

Meanwhile in trying to paint a picture of what I envision for the Transforming Hate Project, I have expanded the project to include working collaboratively with “at risk” teenagers.

I did a bookmaking workshop with English teacher, Alice Owens and artist and poet, Kim Purser. When we were introduced to the students, they made it clear that they had no interest in making books.

However, at the end of 10 weeks, they proudly presented and discussed their books and their working process with visitors. The transformation that took place in their perception of themselves and in the way that others saw them made me realize how important it is to include working with young people, especially those who are having difficulty finding a direction.

To make a tax-deductible donation visit the link: Artspire Fundraising Page

The post Expanding the Vision appeared first on Clarissa Sligh.

The Proposal

Radius Books, a non-profit art book publisher, selected The Proposal from hundreds of submissions as one of 16 confirmed for publication in 2013. As of today, the publication date has been moved to 2014. As you know, publishing has changed and with your help I will raise $25,000 towards the production of a high quality hardback book.

I am often asked, “Why do you have to raise so much money in order to have Radius Press publish the book? Is it your book or will it be their book? Won’t the copyright belong to them?” These are good questions.

When I say that the Press does beautiful books, a common response is that I can get a beautiful book published in Italy or China for less money. The Radius Press team, however, can give me feedback and a distributor that most of us, as individual artists, don’t have access to. Having already self-published Wrongly Bodied, I saw that I am not very good at marketing.

To make a tax-deductible donation visit the link: Artspire Fundraising Page

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Making these two projects was a big shift for me. I had to learn new ways of working, which included quickly becoming more connected with the source materials and documents, creating participatory opportunities with my subjects and learning new mediums and processes as the work progressed. I had included some aspects of these things in my work previously but not with that speed and numbers of people. I am introverted and my work tends to evolve very slowly.  

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Transforming Hate project visit the link: Artspire Fundraising Page

The post Evolution of Transforming Hate Project appeared first on Clarissa Sligh.

I want to get back to work making images and putting together narratives but since the end of 2012 everything has been focused on fundraising for the Transforming Hate Project – clarifying goals, making a budget, raising money via emails, letters, grant applications and lectures. And now I am working with a new designer on a new website.

Fundraising – To have to take time away from what I call “my work” to raise money to get “the work” produced and “out there” has been extremely hard for me. When I say “hard”, I don’t mean hard like what it was like when I worked on the stock options desk or did spread sheets for those guys in mergers and acquisitions or debugged binary and octal code at NASA. At least I earned a reliable income from those things. I mean hard like giving up the mental space to create something that came from within to reaching for something from somebody out there. I know it all comes from the universe, but it’s a different way of functioning.

Hearing from other artists has, however, been interesting. Most seem to think that a person who has “been at it” as long as I have should not have to “ask for help” in the form of “small to whatever a person is willing to give” donations, contributions, and financial support. Many suggest other organizations to approach. I like hearing from my colleagues. I hardly ever run into you guys since I moved here to Asheville, NC and Facebook is no substitute to seeing you face to face.

So I look forward to letting you know about what I am trying to do.

To make a tax-deductible donation visit the link: Artspire Fundraising Page

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