A community based art project developed by Felice Salmon, Sisterhood of Unlearn Fear + Hate dealt with the way connections form between neighbors from diverse backgrounds & the way women can welcome younger women into relationship through the sharing of stories.
In the fall of 2016, 4 women from around the globe who have made Lexington, KY their home came to meet with the young women of the Open Forum Youth Initiative. They spent time with the Busybees to teach them a bit about interviewing and share about their cultural heritage. We experienced the unique friendships that form in a group through storytelling and sharing food. It was an investment of time and energy in our learning process and truly an invaluable gift.
As the young participants in OFYI were reflecting on the experiences they had throughout the fall, they decided to move toward a goal of actively advocating for others to follow their lead a move toward friendship with people from different cultures. As a group, we decided to lay claim to the message of Unlearn Fear + Hate and pursue some craftivism, art-making, and community based art inspired by this theme. We also decided to promise to forever be life-long members of “The Sisterhood of Unlearn Fear + Hate.”
With these goals in mind, we set up a schedule of art activities centered around the theme of “Unlearn Fear + Hate” while also finding a way to display our work in a gallery at the end of the semester. Our final pieces were displayed at the May Night Market in the North Limestone Community Development Corporation airstream trailer.
Funded by BGCF and NoLi CDC and in collaboration with Medine Kenner, Kremena Todorova, Emily Moore, & Daisy Rhau.
Felice Salmon 