Newsletter 034
There’s freedom in “anything” as long as the foundation from which you’re driven isn’t suppressing the freedom in someone else. It’s a dance that requires others to join you on the dance floor! Many won’t join unless they’re invited.
As you read this month's newsletter, you may be asking yourself, “What’s a design company doing hosting a Fashion Show and Cooking Classes while also creating book covers, logos, and design thinking sessions? Let’s just say, we consider the design space our dance floor. With the crowd swaying to the sounds of celebration, we carry the rhythm of unreasonable hospitality with a certain responsibility to elevate our community’s assets. Design allows us to do that.
Creativity meets consciousness in this 3rd Annual collaborative fashion exhibit of Marion's residents' ingenuity. Originally inspired by the Marion Cinema House showcasing the “True Cost” documentary hosted by Marion Design Co, Marion Made was launched in 2018 to inform and inspire our community to consider the harmful impact placed on our environment and people by the fast fashion industry. Followed by another show in 2019 and a pause through COVID, this re-emergence of Marion Made through a partnership with the Marion Arts Commission is concluded with this exhibit of a three-chapter story.
Marion Made Fashion Workshop: On January 20th, the Kennedy Art Center hosted a workshop packed with hopeful participants from Indianapolis to Marion, ready to take on the challenge of creating an outfit that met the objective of designing from resourced clothing and other materials supplied by Renewed Boutique and local residents. After brief instruction, each individual or team selected their materials and set out to create an outfit. With sewing machines, hot glue, and a lot of ingenuity, eighteen outfits emerged as runway-ready.
Marion Made Fashion Runway Show: On February 3rd, the Kennedy Art Center was transformed into a high-end fashion show with a thirty-two-foot long runway, red light washing the walls, rows, and rows of chairs, and a lively stage backdrop. With a packed house of standing-room-only onlookers, the models emerged one by one taking the stage, donning their reinvented outfits. After the show, the panel of judges and the audience voted for the outfits that best emulated the five categories of the competition: Sustainability, Craftsmanship, Je Ne Sais Quoi, AccessAbility, and People’s Choice awards.
Marion Made Fashion Gallery Exhibit: Showcasing a remarkable fusion of fashion and environmental awareness, each garment displayed embodies the spirit of reinvention, crafted with care from re-purposed materials sourced locally. Every piece of clothing carries a story, not just of style, but of a global supply chain that often neglects ethical and sustainable practices. Even the mannequins that display the outfits are made of resourced materials. Art + Design students at Indiana Wesleyan University were charged with the challenge to create “flat-packed” mannequins from cardboard that represented the outfit they selected. Not only do the outfits display local creativity, but the mannequins mirror the innovative spirit as well.
This series of events celebrates the power of design in people. Fashion, in this case, was the medium selected to bring people together to recognize our own assets. No matter what age, economy, culture, or political preference, celebrating the efforts of individuals to create beauty unifies our focus. We’re grateful for all of our partners who made this series a huge success!
It’s not too late to sign up for our first SLŌ Supper! We are featuring our neighbor, Jeff Richardson, owner of the popular Obi’s Barbecue in downtown Marion. SLŌ Supper brings an elevated one-night dining experience with a menu never before shared with the public crafted by a local chef. This three-course meal with wine pairings is sure to be delicious in an environment that brings celebration to your midweek!
The market is flooded with books on every topic but rarely is there a text that checks off the boxes of story telling and personal insight from insightful young writers who happen to be sisters! We recently completed a book design for a newly launched text entitled: We Don’t Know Either: Embracing the “I Don’t Knows” with Full Reliance on Jesus. Published by Streamline Books, Alyssa and Amaya Thompson’s honesty and humble approach to navigating worldly advice against Godly wisdom. Yes, you can buy it on Amazon. We’ll soon have it for sale in the store. So support local and come into the store or buy it online on our website. We’ll notify you when it’s available in Marion.
Our first cooking class was a hit, celebrating the care for our community and intentional focus on healthy and delicious food! Jennifer Noseworthy taught us how to make a one-pot meal using sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and bowtie pasta without the wait for the water to boil!
Our second class features sourdough bread! Reka Brookes will be teaching best practices for making this delicious favorite!
Join us on Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 pm at the Kennedy Art Center Kitchen. The cost is $15. Bring a large mixing bowl and a dishtowel to cover your bread.
Reservations for the gallery, conference room, and kitchen spaces are available for parties, meetings, and events at the Kennedy Art Center. Make your reservation for 2024-25!
Brittany Long, Chief Operations Officer
When I was a teacher, celebrating holidays was the most joyful experience. It didn’t matter if they were in 4th grade or middle school, kids love a good reason to eat sugary treats and play games. I remember one year as a teacher, we ended class two hours early so we could set up the classroom and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
The students had previously decorated brown paper lunch bags in red and pink paper with their names on them. With those out, students went around delivering their valentines to each other. Every single person received a valentine. And then we played games and ate cupcakes and then I sent them home jittery on sugar to their parents. I know some state that Valentine’s Day isn’t a real holiday. Others love to celebrate with gifts or flowers. Whatever camp you find yourself in, this “love” week brings pause to the question - how do you show love to your loved ones? Do you like to buy gifts or cards to show you care? Do you prefer spending quality time getting coffee or dinner with them? Are you more of an activities person who likes to go out and do things with their person?
My other question for you is - how do you receive love? Is it the same way you show love to others or is it different? For me, I really enjoy quality time both as a gift and to give. I challenge you this month to reflect on how you loved the people in your life. As Vincent Van Gogh once said, “The more I think about it, the more I realize there is nothing more artistic than to love others.”
