Local artist Patty Mitchell is pairing up with Hillel to create tapestries to be shown during Moms Weekend.
The first floor of Hillel at Ohio University is currently filled with materials ready to be turned into a collaborative art project.
Through March 19, Hillel is collaborating with local artist Patty Mitchell to put on a community interfaith art project, Honey for the Home. Any time between noon and 5 p.m., anyone is welcome to visit Hillel, 21 Mill St., to create art and share space.
The project will produce tapestries made with upcycled products, or items that can be found anywhere. The idea stemmed from the Honey for the Heart project that has become a Halloween tradition since its conception in 2012. Participants of this residency march down Court Street with an eclectic assortment of giant masks, puppets and monsters.
The Hillel project was dubbed “Honey for the Home” to embody the theme of the art, which will reflect the idea of home.
“It’s a really beautiful process to watch,” Mitchell said of her residencies. “Seeing people get comfortable sitting around a table with strangers, connecting and talking and celebrating while they’re making (art) together.”
Mitchell said she has done many of these projects around the city.
“Athens is the place where I can experiment and test ideas before I travel,” Mitchell said.
“So I’ve been able to do many residencies here in Athens, and with what I learn I’ve been able to share these ideas.”
When Lauren Goldberg, the assistant director of Hillel, attended Honey for the Heart for the first time, Mitchell said she knew something would come of it.
“When (Goldberg) walked into the studio, she just lit up. I didn’t know who she was, but in that moment I knew that something was going to happen,” Mitchell said.
Goldberg said that to be able to host such an event at Hillel was “a dream come true.”
Brennan Kaufman, a freshman in business and an intern at Hillel, described Mitchell as the most artistic woman he has ever met.
“She brings together jocks, frat people, artists, mathletes, she brings together all these people and they create art,” Kaufman said.
And all of Mitchell’s art is created by upcycling, or repurposing materials.
Because this residency is composed of upcycled materials, Goldberg has posted a wish list of items such as fabric, buttons and old keys on the Honey for the Home Facebook page. She added that any materials that would lend to a “feeling of home” throughout the art would also be appreciated. The tapestries are estimated to be 30 by 40 inches at completion, but Goldberg said she wouldn’t be surprised if larger ones are made.
Goldberg said Kaufman, a brother in Alpha Epsilon Pi, has been a big help in getting the word out.
Kaufman said his job has been to bring together different groups to participate in Honey for the Home — a task that has been difficult.
“When people think collaborative art approach, they think the artsy type, and there’s not too many of the artsy type in the Greek world as I’ve seen,” Kaufman said.
Expressing the message and process in a relatable way was arduous, Kaufman said, because it required him to sift through perceptions and stigmas surrounding both art and greek life.
“(Honey for the Home) is actually a really ingenious way to get out your most creative ideas,” Kaufman said.
Planning for this event has made the month of February a whirlwind of activity, leaving Goldberg wanting just a little more time before the event’s opening.
“The only thing that I wish is that we could spend more time getting the word out that we’re collecting materials,” Goldberg said.
All the tapestries created through Honey for the Home will be displayed in Baker Center during Moms Weekend.
“The thing I really love is to see what manifests; (the art) is really elegant and beautiful and awkward and goofy,” Mitchell said.
@mcappy13
ml540312@ohio.edu
