I’ve won a First Place Award at the Ft Worth juried art exhibition for Juneteenth! More in a minute! Tarrant County Community College South Campus is located at 820 & 3501 Campus Dr in Fort Worth, TX. This is a juried art exhibition celebrating freedoms gained on Juneteenth and the abolition of enslavement. My fabric Art piece celebrates the freedom to serve in the Military. Charles Young was the 3rd Black Graduate of West Point’s Military Academy, the First African-American to earn Colonel and the first African-American Superintendent of Public Lands. He was born into slavery so I titled my piece “To Whom much is Given…”
Thank You City of Dallas for ART214 in April and May
April and May featured art shows for my girls: 
“He Spit His Whole Chew On My New Dress” &
“The Girl Who Eloped Next Door”. Thanks to ART214-City if Dallas, South Dallas Cultural Center and The Latino Cultural Center for selecting my fabric art in 2018!
Thanks as well to my new and old friends for your support, encouragement and presence at these art exhibitions.
**June is shaping up as the month for my fabric art pieces featuring men. Stay tuned**
Summer Remembrance: The Negro Traveler Green Book
“Negro Traveler’s Green Book” piece for a Juneteenth show. This one is more of a tribute than artistic endeavor. I used burlap on one corner to house the Jim Crow signage and subliminally speak to transitioning from Country-to-City life. These are family and found photos. The narrative is my original piece and not an actual slogan used in the publication.
Do you remember this necessary travel guide? It was published 1936-1967 for the whole Country and abroad.
I’m available to show and/exhibit any one of three fabric art series. Leave me a comment with your interest.
ART214: Latino Cultural Center Opening was Great!
This is the best experience that I could ever have had as a fabric artist! The ART214 @ The Latino Cultural Center is Museum worthy! It is divided into two galleries and feels like JOY!
Big SHOUTOUT TO Andrea T. who met me at the door with friendship and excitement for my work. Her opening is April 28th. Guess where I’ll be on April 28!
Great conversations about my little piece! Why do people think I’m a woman artist? Had some crying and holding of the throat. Had some anger and even some new friends and invitations to speak about making memories.
I’m about as pleased as I’ve ever been! God is good.
ART214 Artist Reception: Latino Cultural Center 4/12. 6-8pm Mardis!
This week I invite YOU to join me and my Iron Tapestry, “He Spit His Chew On My New Dress” at The Latino Cultural Center (downtown Dallas) for ART214. This is another exhibition in this Citywide juried art exhibition. The artist reception is Thursday from 6-8pm.
This new genre uses an iron frame and a girl’s dress to tell a story of a racist action, family dynamics, a Father’s pride and a Mother/Wife’s dilemma in 1940’s Texas.
The event is 6-8pm but get there and see what your boy is working with. I’ll have 5 copies of my anthology, “KenteCloth: Southwest Voices of the African Diaspora” for the first 5 folks who greet me at my piece.
Two New 2018 Shows: Art214- Dallas, Texas & Jas. Mardis
“Jas Mardis is up to his old tricks in the world of art. He spins a yarn, and quilts the damn thing!”
Hey Folks! Great news! I’m in two juried exhibitions coming up for March and April. My Iron Tapestry, “He Spit His Whole Chew On My New Dress” was juried into the Latino Cultural Center show “Art214”, April 11-May 25th.
I’m also juried into “Art214” at the South Dallas Cultural Center. They’ve taken, “The Girl Who Eloped Next Door” for March 31-April 28th!
*Feel free to drop the folks an email saying, “Thank You for showing the Fabric Art of Jas. Mardis! We’d love to see a full exhibition of “Let The Tablecloth Speak” series”.
Responses to Gee’s Bend: an exhibition
“Responses to Gee’s Bend” an upcoming exhibition at Swarthmore College: UPDATE
I am excited to be near completion of my quilt for this exhibition and look forward to seeing the contributions of the other 11 Quilters selected for this honor. Of course, I cannot show you the completed quilt before the curators have their chance to see it, but I will be posting pictures in an appropriate timeframe. For some reason I committed myself to hand quilting this piece. What was I thinking? This may be the onset of carpel-ritis!
Responses to Gee’s Bend an exhibition presented in McCabe Library, Swarthmore College Curators: Alicia Ruley-Nock & Andrea Packard
Exhibition dates: September 6—October 28, 2018
The exhibition will run concurrently with Piece Together: The Quilts of Mary Lee Bendolph, an exhibition organized by Mount Holyoke College Museum of Art reconfigured for the List Gallery, Swarthmore College by Andrea Packard, List Gallery Director.
RESPONSES TO GEE’S BEND Project Summary
A very select 12 artists have been invited to create an original quilt in response to the Gee’s Bend aesthetic and themes associated with Gee’s Bend and its history.
Stay tuned and thank you for your support (and prayers)
