Rowan Renee
Rowan Renee is a Brooklyn-based artist who uses craft to cultivate individual and collective healing. Their work develops over months or years within communities, landscapes or archives. Recently, they have presented solo projects at Island Gallery, The Green-Wood Cemetery, Smack Mellon, Recess and MoMA PS1. Their approach is influenced by restorative justice principles, collaboration with people impacted by gender-based violence and mass incarceration, and their own experience with the criminal legal system.
Artworks
A loom for tender(ils) transforms the tree grove into a secret garden of tapestry looms designed to engage the public in deeper conversation with each other, their inner landscapes, and the natural environment. Weaving is a process that brings our attention to our body through subtle, repetitive motions, opening up a channel to feelings that we may be unable to put into words. Over the past several years, Rowan has developed a series of workshops and community engagement projects that use weaving as a catalyst for healing. A loom for tender(ils) will be the first time they will be able to design their own looms specifically for this purpose. The whimsical design will echo the shapes and forms of the tree grove. Nearby garden beds will provide plants and natural material for the public to harvest and incorporate into tapestries. Building on restorative justice strategies for healing and personal growth, Rowan aims to introduce the public to the possibilities of weaving to create new avenues for conversation, collaboration, and play.
The interactive outdoor looms will be available for self-directed public use any time the Park is open. There will also be guided one-on-one sessions by appointment with the artist or a project docent on specific dates, from July through October (check the Socrates calendar), as well as group workshops with community partners during the Fall.