SNAG Educational Endowment | Entry 1

Back in May at the SNAG conference in Toronto I learned that I had received a SNAG Educational Endowment Scholarship. I was, and am, honored, humbled and inspired to work even harder toward my goals.  It truly means the world to me to get this vote of confidence from the jurors and an organization I respect so much. Because people donate so generously to make these scholarships happen, I decided to track every penny on my blog and share the work and processes made possible by this funding. So, here's installment one:

Beginning Balance: $1,007.38

There wasn't even enough in my account for an ATM withdrawal before I deposited my $1,000 scholarship. An instant surge of excitement rushed through me as I processed the realization that I had guilt-free "art" cash, none of which would pay for a single grocery or water bill.

My first purchase was from Joann Fabrics - Cotton muslin, Rit dyes (20% off!) and PhotoFabric, a paper-backed cotton you can send through an inkjet printer (total: $100.36). These materials were for a piece I had in mind for several months - a set of eight dresses dyed to match the eight McCormick exterior Colonial paint colors permitted by my hometown's Community Guidebook for painting the exterior of houses. (Rit has a great Color Formula Guide on their website.) The concept for this series of work is the idea that our living environment influences how we think and experience the world. This piece critiques the notion of customization in suburban subdivisions which creates an illusion of choice and individuality without threatening uniformity, a practice I believe extends to the residents themselves.

Jessica Todd, 8 Exterior Color Choices for the Countryside Subdivision

Jessica Todd, 8 Exterior Color Choices for the Countryside Subdivision (detail)

To complete the piece I also purchased an online dress pattern ($5.44), a clothing rack and hangers ($12.56) and shipping ($16.85) to mail the fabric to my mom back home in Virginia who lovingly helped me sew the dresses. The final piece turned out exactly as I had pictured it and seemed to have a big impact on the audience who viewed it later at my solo exhibition Home, which took place at the Kent State Stark campus through the month of September 2013.

Total purchase: $135.21
Ending Balance: $872.17