Mending

Artist Limei Lai will guide participants in a memory sharing and art making process. Through a conversation, finding one’s visual vocabulary and creating a mixed media collage that translates the moment shared.

Elements: tea, music, art making, memory exchange

Materials: art supplies are provided (fabric, embroidery kit, watercolor kits, watercolor paper)

Skill: no art making skill required.

Theme: art(mostly textile related), healing, community building, introspection, memory exchange

Fee: sliding scale $5 to $25 to be given to the instructor at the event

Process:

● Arrival: participants arrive downstairs, our staff will be at the lobby to open the door for them.

● Play soft music in the background. Offer green tea as a relaxant for attendees.

● Introduction- artist, workshop context, participants - 15 minutes

● Meditation - a quick meditation session to allow us to get settled, be grounded, and slow down

to be fully present. - 10 minutes

● Writing - collect a moment to depict. Collect the visual vocabulary. -15 minutes

● Demo - translate materials into a visual composition. - 10 minutes

● Work on the textile piece while listening or sharing their stories - 30 minutes

● Show and tell - 10 minutes

Limei Lai is an installation artist who combines mixed media interactive visual art,

writing, and performative movement to reflect on her life between two cultures. She is curious about how memories are transformed into visual forms and movements. She researches Asian American history and conducts live interviews with Asian immigrant women in the community. Her work focuses on women's life experiences, intergenerational communications, and cultural conflicts.

Limei grew up in an embroidery community in a small village in Southeastern China. She was the founder and curator of Playground Gallery and the vice-president of Oregon Chinese Artist Association, featured artist at Blackfish Gallery. Her works were shown in Corvallis Arts Center, Newport Visual Arts Center, Ashland Fiber Arts Collective, Portland Chinatown Museum, Paragon Gallery, Local 14 Art Show, Lansu Garden, The Place, PNCA, PSU, Playground Gallery, Red E Cafe Gallery, ELLE Gallery, and Blackfish Gallery. Limei lives with her daughter in Portland, Oregon.