Dana Bernard - Work in Progress

Spontaneous Art in Downtown Durham - Pride – June 2023 June 3 – 11, 2023 Since submi>ng my applicaBon for an ArBst residency at Trillium Arts I have been brainstorming what and where I would place art in Downtown Durham. This led me to an idea of placing sculpture on stakes in the flowerpots in the Downtown area.

As discussed in my applicaBon I like to repurpose items in my arBsBc pracBce. Once I formulated the idea, I went about collecBng items that might be used from yard sales, scrap piles and my own stock.

Here is what I found!

To try out the concept I thought I would incorporate these elements: • Head on a stake – foam head / table Leg. • Face painted in various flesh tones: black, brown, and white.

• Hair in a variety of lengths and styles - rainbow color made of repurposed shopping bags.

Once I conceptualized and gathered my supplies I got to work.

The stake (table leg) will be set in the dirt of a large flowerpot. It will stand about 3 feet tall. I came across some ribbon at the Scrap exchange, my favorite place to pick-up items to repurpose. I’ll also use some foam can cozies to create more of a collar at the base of the head.

In this picture you can see I have started to add the various flesh tones using acrylic paint. I will start at each ear and Bnt and tone unBl I get a variety of colors.

Lastly, you can see how I am using the shopping bags to create hair in a rainbow of colors. I intend to add braids, short hair, curlier mid-range hair and two buns known as Dango on the top of the head.

I also will add the words “We” on the piece to bring home the idea that no maYer who we are, what we look like, where we come from or what our beliefs or lifestyles, we are one here on this planet.

Thanks for allowing me to share what I’ve been up to!