Beardfully & Wonderfully Made II
Peace of the Wild Things
Chew Before You Swallow
Beardfully & Wonderfully Made III
Canopy Youth Art Project
In Spring 2026, I was a community artist for the Youth Services Program at Canopy, a refugee resettlement agency in Northwest Arkansas. In collaboration with the youth coordinator, we lead a project that enabled the students to explore their creativity through the use of thread.
Each student began with a unique yet simple line formed by a thread. They imagined what that line could become and brought their imagination to life with color and embroidery thread. The textile artists from Canopy’s Inspired Hands Sewing Program mended the students’ pieces together to form the tapestry.
Very rarely do we begin our lives with blank canvases. In the same way the students started this project with a simple line, we are met with unchosen and unexpected circumstances. The Canopy artists are all too familiar with this fact. Despite the heaviness and the isolation our circumstances can cause, there is a humble demand to respond with creativity and hope for a better world. In doing so, we can participate in something bigger than ourselves.