Capacity 3 gallery at the Boarding House Arts Building, Guelph in November 2019.

‘Compassion Pit’ is an interactive textile installation comprised of recycled fabric and pieces of supportive writing donated by the public through a call for participation. Discarded clothing and studio remnants have been used to make quilted walls, filled with many pockets. They hold contributed secrets, words of comfort and support, or stories that need to be share.

 A call for participation has resulted in many donations of words embroidered or written on bits of paper or cloth. Visitors are encouraged to find and read the words and ideas in the pockets on the walls and possibly leave some of their own. The tactile nature of engaging with this work is not unlike participating in a sewing circle. As new messages are left  the dialogue will continue, as will the effects of the shared compassionate experience.

Over the span of the show, more than 75 works and messages were placed in the pockets of the walls. Some small notes made by visitors to the space with materials left for that purpose and some messages were created with planning and such skill and care that I wanted to share them with you here. They are anonymous and I am grateful to each and every one of the creative souls who took the time to submit their lovely creations for this shared experience. Thank you for your words and your beautiful work!

I had planned to show this space again at the Black Sheep Festival in September 2020 but with covid cancellations, it was put on hold.
Maybe next year…

take good care,
Tammy