All Are Welcome Selected for Monmouth Museum Exhibition
I'm pleased to share that my work, All Are Welcome, has been selected for an upcoming exhibition at the Monmouth Museum in a show running March 2, 2025 – April 13, 2025! This is an exciting opportunity to showcase my weaving alongside other talented artists in a space dedicated to creativity and cultural dialogue.
The Monmouth Museum, located in Lincroft, New Jersey, is known for its diverse exhibitions and commitment to fostering the arts. I’m so happy to be included in this show, especially as I continue to push the boundaries of weaving as a form of political protest.
As Neil Gaiman said, "The moment that you feel that, just possibly, you're walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself—that's the moment you may be starting to get it right." Well, it does feel that way with this particular piece. It’s a work that I’ve been ruminating on for years and it has finally come to fruition. I’m certainly curious to see what kind of reception it gets as this will be the first time it has been shown publicly. My mother says it’s my best piece, but she might be biased.
All Are Welcome is my meditation on America. When I think of the flag, many words come to mind: freedom, alliance, patriotism, ideal, protection, unity, liberty…democracy. The flag is a representation of all Americans. We pledge allegiance to the flag, we fight under our flag, and we die under our flag. So, effectively we pledge to serve and protect one other under our flag.
But what happens when that pledge is not honored? What happens when that pledge is not honored by our government? The Trump administration has a history of, and actively is, implementing policies that work against these ideals—separating families, detaining children in inhumane conditions, dismantling pathways to citizenship, weaponizing ICE to terrorize immigrant communities and disregarding court rules and regulations concerning immigrants and deportation. His administration's fixation on a border wall, a physical and symbolic barrier to those seeking refuge, reflects a deliberate attempt to redefine who is 'welcome' in this country. These tactics are not about security but about exclusion, about turning us against one another.
Seeing the response to the people at our borders, the flagrant disregard of rules and judicial process, the inhumane way we treat people – the way we treat children – the way we rip families apart, and put up lethal barriers that kill people with a dream – dreams of freedom – dreams of what our flag stands for – makes me angry and ashamed.
Suffice it to say, the actions of our current administration do not represent me, nor do they represent the ideals and foundation of the people of the United States. Thus, I argue, we as citizens are not being represented by our flag.
As such, I have taken the unpatriotic act of desecrating the flag. It’s an act of defiance, protest, and dissent. I have cut the flag, leaving the threads hanging loose. I have woven it back onto a fencing of sorts, representational of the boarder wall fence, and lined the top with barbed wire. It echoes the barricades and cages erected to keep people out, to separate families, to criminalize those seeking asylum.
I am honored that All Are Welcome has been included in this exhibition, allowing a larger audience to engage with this work and the questions it poses. Having my pieces exhibited in such a recognized institution allows for greater engagement and conversation around these important topics.
Get Involved
There are things that we can do to fight back. I would suggest starting out by calling your representatives. You can look them up here:
· Contact Your House Representative
Exhibition Details:
Exhibition Dates: March 2, 2025 – April 13, 2025
Opening Reception: Sunday, March 2, 2025, from 4 – 6 PM
Location: Monmouth Museum, 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738
If you're in the area, I would love for you to stop by and experience the work in person.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported my art—and thank you to the Monmouth Museum— your encouragement and support means the world to me.
