Epidemic is a series of weavings thematically connected by the struggles, the despair, and the stories of hope surrounding addiction. Each weaving is created with strips of fabric on which people affected by addiction write a wish, a prayer, a dream, a memory. The messages of love and loss are knotted and woven together, then threaded onto and suspended from sticks found in parks in Kensington.

I am a trauma-informed artist who is interested in the connection between art and social change. I was born and raised in Kensington (a neighborhood in Philadelphia) and have worked there for the past four years, practicing art as harm reduction and facilitating art workshops with people experiencing homelessness and people in active addiction. My personal art-making is often impacted by my interactions and relationships with the community I work with. You can view my other website here: https://lisakelleyart.com/

Art heals.

~ Lisa Kelley, artist