 Pillow covers made from thrift store draperies. Hi, everyone!
I hope you're hanging in there in these tumultuous times. Here are the Zoom classes coming up: Remaking 101 is next Sunday the 28th from 11 AM - 2 PM, and it's about making one thing into another. $45. Durable soft goods like tablecloths or drapes can be made into pillow covers or tote bags. A dress can become a skirt and a top, and an old jacket can become a hand bag. If you have something you'd like to remake, come out and play! Mending Monday is July 6th from 7-9 PM. Bring your mending pile and we'll get it whittled down. $30. 50% of class proceeds will go to the Loveland Foundation. Loveland's Therapy Fund provides financial assistance to Black women and girls nationally seeking therapy. Take good care of yourselves out there. Best, Laura
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 "Driven" by A. Laura Brody. Photos by Heidi Marie Photography Opulent Mobility 2020 is open for submissions!
We want your art that re-imagines disability, mobility, and access as opulent and powerful. Please submit your work by July 31st at 5 PM, PST. Late entries accepted up to August 31st. The entry fee has been waived, and there is no charge to artists for any sales made during the course of the exhibit. We are still partnering with United Cerebral Palsy Los Angeles for the exhibit, but have decided to host the exhibit online for safety reasons. This exhibit is co-curated by A. Laura Brody and Anthony Tusler. Opulent, adjective 1. Characterized by extravagant, ostentatious magnificence: lavish, lush, luxurious, palatial, plush, rich, sumptuous 2. Given to or marked by unrestrained abundance: Extravagant, exuberant, luxuriant, prodigal, profuse, riotous, superabundant Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © We accept all types of media: 2-dimensions, sculptural, film, music files, and videos of performances and spoken word. For all the details, go to www.opulentmobility.com.
I am often asked if a project or a class is too mundane for me.
Don't get me wrong. I love the fantastic and out of this world. It's hard to be thrilled at the prospect of my 10,000th pant hem, and I'm not really into sewing on your missing buttons. I am truly excited to show you how to sew your button on yourself, though. Maybe you don't need an inflatable suit, but you probably have something that you want to create that is exactly suited to your beautiful body. (Yes, your body is beautiful.) And that is exciting to me. Of course I've done fantastical things for galas, film and TV, dance, and theater. That's all good. There are so many individual projects that stand out too. Some of the projects were: Reusing old clothing and fabrics to create new designs Corsetry for men Custom bondage gear Pant engineering for climbers, BASE jumpers, and international campers Adjusting clothes for specific body issues Patterns for unisex wear Tent design Wheelchair upholstery and wheel covers And performance finery for folks from sizes XXS- 3XL. I prefer working with real bodies, real issues, and having intriguing problems to solve. That is my idea of everyday awesome. What would you like to create? Maybe I can help.  I take wheelchairs, walkers, and mobility scooters and turn them into elaborate works of art.
As part of International Sculpture Day, I'll use Zoom meeting to share my home studio and art, work on my newest sculpture (Melusine), and talk about ways to re-imagine disability as opulent and powerful. Contact me for the Zoom meeting link. The link goes live at 6 PM PST and lasts until 9 PM. Thank you! I hope you are keeping safe and healthy in these very strange times.  Image from Mending Monday at Wingwalker Brewing. Photo by Heidi Marie Photography. These are weird times.
Fortunately, I am finding some wonderful ways to work with people. Who would have thought I'd be so grateful for Zoom and Skype? Zoom has been pretty great for online classes, and it's a lot less glitchy than Skype. If you'd like to join us, I'm holding longer term classes on Saturdays: Alter Your Clothes Like A Pro April 11- May 2, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM T-Shirt Modifications April 11-May 2, 1:30- 4:30 PM and short term classes the first Monday and last Sunday of each month: Mending Monday April 6, 7-9 PM Sustainable Sewing April 26th, 11 AM - 2 PM Full details are on the "Classes" page. No matter how you are spending your time, I hope you are safe, healthy, and as stress-free as possible. We're all in this together. XO Laura  Embroidered panel for 25 Million Stitches, a collaborative art project that asks folks to contribute one stitch for all 25 million refugees. In not surprising news:
GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXTENSION CLASSES ARE CANCELLED as of 3/17/2020. This will probably extend into the Spring session. We're living in strange times. So... Check in with me for virtual classes via Zoom and Skype this spring! Classes were originally planned for 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 1:30-4:30 PM on Saturdays through April and May. I'll put up those classes in the next week or two. It's a brave new world. Let's work together to make it a more sustainable, beautiful, and creative place, even if it's from a safe social distance. Here's to keeping safe, healthy, and as sane as possible. XO Laura  Medusa and The Kali Walker by A. Laura Brody. Photo by Heidi Marie Photography. Re-imagine disability. We challenge you to imagine a world where mobility, disability, and access are not merely functional, but opulent. Please share your artwork that re-imagines disability, mobility, and access. We accept 2-D and sculptural artwork, music files, and performances on video/film. Opulent, adjective 1. Characterized by extravagant, ostentatious magnificence: lavish, lush, luxurious, palatial, plush, rich, sumptuous 2. Given to or marked by unrestrained abundance: Extravagant, exuberant, luxuriant, prodigal, profuse, riotous, superabundant Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publisher Submit your work at www.opulentmobility.com/submit-artwork.html. This year, Opulent Mobility is partnering with United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles. The exhibit will be held at UCPLA’s Washington Reid Gallery in Culver City, California and online at www.opulentmobility.com. Submissions open March 1, 2020 and the deadline is June 30, 2020 at 5 PM PST. There is a flat $20 entry fee to cover administrative costs. The exhibit will run from December 5, 2020- February 13, 2021. OM 2020 is curated by A. Laura Brody and Anthony Tusler. We look forward to sharing your art with the world!
The old blog posts are finally up on this brand new site, so now I can share what's coming up next. It's been fascinating to go over all the old posts. I've been writing them since 2012, and so much has happened since then. It's an interesting way to get an overview of your life and artistic progress. Here's what's coming up in February of 2020:
Mending Monday at Wingwalker Brewing will be February 3rd from 7-9 PM. $30.
Bring your mending and repair pile plus all your sewing and craft related questions. We'll get that pile back down to a reasonable level and you'll be in great company. February 6th I'll be staple draping with the Young Shakespeareans at West Vernon Elementary School. We're making caps and capes for their upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet. This will be so much fun! And February 11 is the showing of Los Angeles Landscapes curated by Diane Williams. Diane challenged us to come up with digital images that showcase the multifaceted Los Angeles landscape. Since I don't consider myself a photographer, it was such an intriguing challenge! I'm excited to see what everyone came up with. Judging from the postcard, it will be a powerful show.
As Carry Somers, founder of Fashion Revolution says:
“There are fantastic ways to get new clothes without buying new,” she says. “We can hire. We can rent. We can swap. Or we can invest in clothes which are made by artisans, which have taken time and skill to produce.” And (of course) we can mend. "Mending Clothes As an Act of Rebellion" by Kate of The Phoenix Green is lovely and to the point. "Mending clothes is absolutely an act of rebellion – and perhaps one which is most accessible to most people. Learning how to stitch and darn is far easier in these days of youtube. So my hope is that more and more of us will learn the skills to mend clothes, to keep them in circulation and reduce the impact that our recent obsession with fashion continues to have on the planet."  Mending at Wingwalker Brewing with Karen, Litty, and Patti. Photo by Pam Noles. So many classes are on the horizon! Won't you come out to play?
At Mending Mondays and Visible Mending at Wingwalker Brewing, you can mend your clothes in good company, enjoy a fine beverage, and join a community of people who want to see the things they love last. Bring your things to mend, your sewing kits, and all your questions! Visible Mending November 24th, 11 AM - 2 PM. $45. Mending Monday December 2nd, 7-9 PM. $30. Both classes will be at Wingwalker Brewing, 235 W. Maple in Monrovia, CA. Upcoming classes at Glendale Community College for Spring 2020: Intro to Sewing Saturdays, February 1-22, 2020. 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. $149. Knock It Off Pattern Making Saturdays, March 7-28, 2020. 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. $149. Alter Your Clothes Like A Pro Saturdays, March 7-28, 2020. 1:30 - 4:30 PM. $149. Classes at GCC Garfield campus, 1122 E. Garfield, Glendale, CA 90215 |
A. Laura Brody
I re*make mobility devices and materials and give them new lives. Sometimes I staple drape. Archives
November 2020
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