Week SIX: Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

This was our FINAL week of our residency and what a fabulous experience it's been for so many reasons. We even managed to add two more installations on the spur of the moment, on the fly so to speak. We installed this stripey creature on a pole in the children's section on Tuesday and added some of the left over felt flowers some of the patrons made. On Friday we got it into our heads that the pole near the front entrance needed dots, although we did add one square at the suggestion of one of the Library Volunteers ♥ A fab suggestion that made our day and made the pole extra special. 

The stones and paint pens continued to be popular although some patrons enjoyed trying the crazy felting. The biggest kick for us, and the most exciting, was seeing the spark of inspiration in patrons exploring the 

possibilities of what they could use and do beyond what we were showing. 

Now that is CRAFT ACTIVISM

Can't go without mentioning the absolutely brilliant send off song from Branch Manager Sharon Taste, as we were packed and ready to leave. So glad we had this time together too.

cheers

Nancy & Corrine

Week FIVE:Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

Sticks and Stones

We had a few people lining up to get into the Opportunity Room this week and what FUN. Our Sticks and Stones sessions were really popular. Patrons as young as 4 were getting into it and we were packed the whole session.

Some of the stones were just adorable.

Hey, we got to PLAY too.

Many patrons got into the spirit of things and went wild decorating spirit sticks.

FLOWER POWER

On our studio time we installed the flower power panel to the post and then got into

the finishing details, adding more flowers over the seam, and an embroidered sign.

The installations are permanent and belong to the library, so people can continue to enjoy them as long as the library wishes to keep them up. A few more tweaks and stitches and we will be done. 

PS. if you have any questions about our projects please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact form to the right.

Week FOUR: Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

The Opportunity Room at the Library became the Meditation Room this week. 

There is something very soothing and meditative about wrapping yarn around a stick. The Harry Lauder sticks seemed popular with adults and children alike and kept even the younger patrons engaged. It was a delight

to sit and chat with several patrons and share stories. Vicky spent more than an hour

with us and delighted us with stories about some of her craft projects. One patron said she was going to add stones to several of the sticks and display them in a basket. There are many ways I have used mine, either spray painted and hung on the wall

to hang art from 

or use for an art photograph to frame

As part of our residency we also gave a talk/slide show and we were just delighted to meet, Jule Rastikis, the President of Board of Directors for the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor. We had contacted them about an idea for their Peace Project, and we are happy that they like it. 

History of the Peace Corridor

Inception and history of the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor

Week THREE: Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

Let's just call it what it was;  MAYHEM on 

Tuesday evening, or wait was it Wednesday? It's all become a blur lol! BUT it was GLUE MAYHEM I tell you, MAYHEM! 
Tip: Don't give small children glue bottles

The creativity room was packed, but out of the Glue Mayhem we got some happy patrons and some lovely flowers. So it was all good. 

This was the last week of working on felt flowers so Nancy and I were able to start assembling them. No master plan on how to assemble, so we just winged it. Senior Patron Library Assistant Linda Jackson felt the power of the flower and popped in to give us a hand. Here is a sneak peek of the panel which will be installed on one of the posts in the library. 

We did manage to get the blue felt butterflies up this week, yay!

Next week it's yarn wrapping Harry Lauder Sticks and making knit twits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try" - Dr. Seuss

Mr.Plato and Wheelchair Accessibility Map AXS by Jason DaSilva

Mr.Plato is hanging out in the Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch but he is not just a PRETTY face, he has a message for those who rely on a wheelchair to get around. 

Disabled? There's (more than one) app for that.

Jason DaSilva said after he developed multiple sclerosis about 10 years ago, getting out got more complicated. "There were times that I was finding it impossible just to go out and meet a friend at a bar, or have a date," he said, speaking in his apartment in Queens, New York.

Here is a link to the AXS map. The app is free and easy to use, easy to input info onto so you can let others know if a place is accessible. 

Hanging out at the Little Art Theatre

About Mr.Plato
 He is a resuscitation mannequin I picked up at a garage sale in 2009. I drove by Nancy's to show her and as I was driving away she chased after the car waving frantically to stop me. I stopped and she said excitedly "let's FELT him".  He was stretched out on Nancy's dining table for 3 months as we worked on him. Originally we were hoping to use him as part of a street installation but that didn't work out. For a while we played a game of hide and seek and would leave him in various locations around Yellow Springs and then give clues to the public on our blog to his whereabouts. Alas he got kicked out of the Little Art after a couple of weeks because he scared the patrons ;) We also take him on little trips.

Pop into the library and say Hello.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation"  Plato

Week TWO: Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

Charlie with her Flower 

Residency Notes: Week two and we were are not quite as exhausted. We are finding we have to rethink some of our public drop in project ideas after the flower making session is done as they seem rather ambitious given the time constraints as well as age diversity of our drop in library patrons. Our next challenge is trying to figure out how to install the felt flowers in a cohesive way given the different styles and colours. 

On the way out to put up the felt butterflies up in the children's outdoor area we pass the children's reading area. It stopped me in my tracks it's so beautiful and heck do we have to be a kid to sit in this area.  lol. 

WE also installed a rather large plaster cast nose on the wall, the theme being 

"get your nose stuck in a book". 

AND

we finished putting up the felt cafe installation meant to complement Virginia Kistler's gorgeous Ceiling Installation.

 For more info about the library and events, and our open studio times please visit the link below.

Northwest Branch Library

The first step in making the Northwest Library a reality began with conversations with the Library patrons, neighbors and neighborhood groups, and partners including the Phoenix Group, Salem Avenue Business District, and Dayton Public Schools. The shared vision was a 21st century facility that would be a neighborhood anchor and greater Dayton destination, celebrating the site's rich history.

Week ONE: Jafagirl Residency at Dayton Metro Library Northwest Branch

Our first week of a 6 week residency and we were exhausted, but it had more to do with carting two car loads of supplies etc, and my car deciding it doesn't want to have air conditioning, arg!

Explore Craft Activism with the JafaGirls

The Jafagirls are Corrine Bayraktaroglu and Nancy Mellon, mischievous creators of public art. From August 1 through September 10, they are the artists-in-residence at the Northwest Branch of the Dayton Metro Library, 2410 Philadelphia Drive in Dayton. During their residence at the Library, they will offer community drop-in hours with ongoing collaborative projects for all ages.

The library is gorgeous, the staff are wonderful, and the creative space is a dream. Love talking to the public and answering questions, although many parents thought we would be doing traditional crafts or teaching crochet or sewing. 

Our focus is on doing crafts that are used in a non traditional way, like yarnbombing. The first 3 weeks we are working with the library patrons on flowers that we will incorporate into a installation in the children's area of the library. Meanwhile on our closed studio time Nancy and I are getting several projects going. This is next to the cafe near the entrance and 

we will try to cover as much as the pole that we can reach. The black and white felt motif is meant to compliment the beautiful ceiling installation by Virginia Kistler in the cafe.

As per my usual mischief it goes without saying that this will happen.

We would have put more butterflies in the play area outside but the heat got too much.

Hats next week AND an air conditioned car.