In collaboration with Liz Nofziger and commissioned by the city of Lawrence to commemorate the 100 yr. anniversary of the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912, this work was inspired by the community and collaboration of the strikers that arose between diverse immigrant populations that shared no common language. Channeling the spirit of the strikers, we surfaced the network of individuals and organizations working for positive change in 21st century Lawrence. Using face-to-face visits and social media we uncovered this network person-by-person. Each new node lead us to other individuals and agencies working for the benefit of Lawrence citizens. The visual form of the exhibition borrowed from network visualization theory. We created an initial mapping of the revealed network and raised it into the exhibition space. Over the course of the exhibition, we hosted a series of simple suppers in the exhibition space for key network members in recognition of their work. At each dinner we invited guests to grow the network by creating one large collaborative network map as a record of the evening. These colorful network maps were suspended and became screens that captured the video projections and activated the space. The exhibition included a collaborative space for gallery visitors to build personal networks. The video projection piece was a collaboration with local teen artists from the Essex Art Center.

Embodied Structure*Living Action: The Shape of Community

A collaborative installation by Liz Nofziger and Linda Price-Sneddon celebrating the legacy of the Bread and Roses strike in today’s Lawrence.

The Great Lawrence Textile Mill Strike of 1912 stands as a powerful symbol of community and collaboration between diverse immigrant populations that shared no common language.  A community united in common cause is the most potent catalyst for positive growth and change, and art is a common language that we can all share. 

We are inspired by the historical lesson of the Bread and Roses Strike and have channeled this spirit to make visual the network of individuals and organizations that work daily to build a bright future for today’s Lawrence. 

We have uncovered the network person-by-person originating from the Essex Art Center.  Each person identified lead us to other individuals and agencies engaged in the hard work of building a city geared for the future welfare and empowerment of Lawrence citizens.

Installation Structure:

The visual form of this social network borrows from network visualization theory and emerged from our process of exploration and interaction.  We began by creating several network drawings that chart the relationships and interrelationships between Lawrence’s dynamic non-profit organizations and the people that define these organizations as uncovered by our research and interaction with key nodes in this network.

In order to expand the richness of our depiction, we hosted two simple suppers in the exhibition space for key network members in celebration of the important work that they do for their community.  In addition to sharing a meal, we enlisted their support to grow the network by creating new and expanded network maps together. 

We’ve also created a collaborative space for gallery visitors to playfully build depictions of their own networks of family, friends, work, school and other affiliations.

The slideshow and video projection are composed from video of the We Are Lawrence rally held this past March, photos from Lawrence’s vibrant non-profit organizations, and images of complex network diagrams gleaned from the internet.