Each year, Making A Mark® partners with a local, professional artist to host a series of workshops with patients and their siblings from Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center to create a collaborative, visual arts piece to be featured in the annual Making A Mark® exhibit.

The 2023 Making A Mark Featured Guest Artist is Chelsea Clarke.

Garden
2023

Artist Statement

For Making A Mark, I worked with the children at Periwinkle Day Camp to create life drawings of fresh flowers, which I arranged into little gardens for us to screen print on tote bags! The designs were inspired by the beauty of plants, growth, and working together to build something amazing. I wanted to bring that energy into my final piece so I utilized the students’ drawings to create an edition of prints that brings each individual contribution together into a harmonious collage. This was an extremely special experience for me, as I was a patient at Texas Children’s Hospital many years ago now, and I hope I have made a positive impact on the children’s summer camp experience through art!

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I collage with textile, print, and found materials to create colorful sculptures that demonstrate resilience, both conceptually and materially. I took an interest in this subject after disability decidedly altered my practice and led me to a more accessible approach that is firmly rooted in craft. Building on the incredible history of fiber, I want to express thoughts about seeking comfort, softness as strength, and the importance of play. Weaving, knitting, sewing, and quilting have become my primary focus, with a number of adaptive tools like my risograph and floor loom brought in to fully articulate each idea. My portfolio has evolved rapidly in the process of adapting to my body’s changing needs and I am excited to see where it will go as I continue to move forward (or maybe sideways). 

-Chelsea Clarke

See photos below from Chelsea’s workshop at Periwinkle Day Camp!