I met Naomi in 2013, and while our friendship was forged through the event industry, we had a connection that felt deeper than colleagues. She felt like the sister I'd never had. Our connection felt like family. I'm inspired by Naomi's fearless and direct approach to her work and life. She is an adventurer, writer, and advocate for humanity and justice, and when I shared my #thevoterescreative idea with her, she jumped at the chance to participate and wrote a piece for our blog. Here are her insightful observations of the installation.
One woman's perspective of a day of journaling, discussing, and creating to get out the VOTE!
On a summer morning in San Diego, women from all walks of life met at Luce on Kettner to pool their creative genius to convey an important message for the local creative community - VOTE!
This initiative sprang from an idea by longtime Cardiff resident and business owner, Annette Gomez of Flowers Annette Gomez. Never one to shy away from activism, even amidst the global pandemic, Annette wanted to do her part. She believed other creatives might have been feeling the same way, shut in with the burning desire to create change.
Annette gave the women, most of whom are part of the event community, little instruction. Participants were told they would create a mosaic with the word VOTE! as the piece's focus. They were also instructed that they could use any medium they see fit to add to the mosaic. The women had the freedom to create purely from the heart without restriction. The only rules were everyone had to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
As each of the artists began to work on their mosaic section, I could not help but wonder how this would all come together. The mediums brought by each woman were meaningful but very different. There were flowers, crystals, tarot cards, vintage photos, coffee grinds, food and wine, black girl magic, paper, fabric, natural elements from the woods like birch, pine cones, and ferns, a nod to Annette's love of the Pacific Northwest. The essential aspect of this mosaic and key to every form of art, in my opinion, is the unrestricted freedom given to each individual to create without judgment or expectation.
As the mosaic areas began to come together, I watched women enter the space, create their art, and leave. It was then when I was reminded of the importance of what we were doing and why.
Generations come and go, and the task of each is to leave what they found better for the next. If we do not do our part as generations before us have, we cannot call ourselves the keepers of democracy. As a mosaic comes together, we see how each area, no matter how diverse, works together to create the whole. That is how I see our beloved country. We can be accepting of our differences, knowing that we all desire the same freedoms and rights. We are all a part of this mosaic we call home. All of us add to the beauty of our country by freely expressing who we are. The strength of that beauty comes from living in peace alongside our differences, like a mosaic.
I no longer refer to America as a melting pot. I don't want our distinct cultures to melt into one pot. In doing so, there is no opportunity to appreciate each other's uniqueness, and we stand to lose the diverse cultural influences of people who migrated here. I prefer to see the differences in the American people as a part of our greatness. Each culture, lifestyle, religion, and ethnicity should be able to stand alone in peace, but never forget that when we stand together, side-by-side in solidarity, we find our greatest strength.
Despite our political affiliations, we all are the keepers of democracy. Let us not forget that on November 3, 2020.
Naomi Vivian Wilson, Guest Writer
Contributing Artists:
Annette Gomez (me)
@flowersannettegomez Crazy person who thought this would be an excellent way to get people together / unite to create art and encourage people to get out and VOTE! So far, two people who have never voted before reached out to us for guidance with registration and questions regarding the process. Let's create lifelong participants in the political process.
Kimberly Jones
@tkldpink12 A super creative mixologist friend and creator of black girl magic. She brought a bottle of rose, (her favorite wine) wine glasses and chiles (a nod to her home state of New Mexico) There was much discussion of policy changes to ensure black lives are cherished and protected in our country. #BLM #girlpower
Brittany Polk
@peanutbritter217 A young and wonderfully talented floral designer who freelances for some of the best in town. Brittany is so very thoughtful in her design approach and was one of the first to arrive. with bundles of fresh flowers. She created the "1920" to remind women to use our voice and get out the vote. We have come a long way but still have a long way to go.
Katie Evans
@watersignefloral A talented floral designer, business owner, and momma of sweet baby Aren. Advocate for women's health issues and the creator of the expecting mother silhouette. Katie wrote a beautiful piece in the journal component of our installation.
Alysa Navarro
@alysanavarro A recent college graduate in women's studies, delightful free spirit and adventurer. She brought her tarot card collection, crystals and a five pound bag of ground coffee. The installation smelled divine. She was the first to arrive and the last to leave. an outspoken ally for the disenfranchised and underserved communities.
Noriko Machida
@machida.noriko Floral designer with the most patience of any human I have ever met. She is from Japan and can't vote in our elections but carries so much passion it is inspiring. Each of these yarn balls was created by hand, one by one.
Naomi Vivian Wilson
@naomivwilson Event designer, political and social activist, guest blog writer. Keen observer, advocate for people of color, women's rights, LGBTQ folks, and everything in between.
Lauren Rennie:
@shoegal2842 My Italian friend and baker of everything good in this world brought her Italian heritage and the plight of all immigrants looking for a better future. She made fig galettes and incorporated gardenias from her garden into her piece, included images of her family. She is a gifted storyteller, and her journal entries were beyond touching.
Cara North
@luxeventssd She brought tools of her trade—swatched of fabric, ribbons, and placemats along with other fun goodies. Bravely faced down the challenge of a minimally directed project, only to flourish and embrace it in the end with much style and grace. A fierce defender of human rights and a quiet soul who lives by example.
Aubrey Majia
@shovelgirl Lover and protector of Mother Earth, freelance floral designer, mother, and friend. She brought oodles of the best-foraged goodies, dirt in two colors and varieties, beach rocks, pampas grass, succulents, and nopales. Much discussion and journaling honored the need to heal our planet and its people by taking care of our environment.
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
Amanda Trejo
@sassylittlebeecoordinator The queen of electroforming, jewelry maker, and artist extraordinaire, brought a tub of the most wonderful little painted pebbles. Did I mention she keeps everything, that includes every stray cat in the neighborhood? This woman loves fiercely and won't hesitate to call you out on your shit if needed.
Katherine Farley
@root75_flowers Owner of the most delightful shop on Coronado Island. An all-around good friend, neighbor, mama, and citizen who nurtures and cares for everyone she meets. Katherine brought a large helping of Zen to our installation with foraged vitex leaves fashioned in a feathered wave throughout the letter E. It was a joy to watch her work. Wonderful energy!
Adrianne Smith
@smitty_bits is an amazing designer and keen observer of the natural world. She is a gifted writer and communicator. Linocut textiles and paper products are her mediums of choice when she isn't up to her elbows in floral design. Adrianne brought fabrics and notions to create a rainbow of color to signify the need to include and treat the LGBTQ community with love and respect.
Suzanne Hansen Ofeldt
@suzanne_ofeldt + @shewandersphotography is a team player, lover of life, and giver of her time and talents. Suzanne shows up and speaks up. She gives voice to the voiceless, is a defender of the voiceless, and dedicated to making a difference in the community. Photographer and contributor for Wanderlings Magazine.
Venue… Luce on Kettner
@luceloft They graciously let us use their space.