2019-695-E Arts - Jan-Ru Wan arts grant

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DocuSign Envelope ID:39D79395-43FF-4C9D-AAA1-F90C06B72BE8 Project/Program This public exhibition/performing project has evolved from my recent work Summary called "The Noise We Make;" (see submitted images #1,#2,#3). This project grant will support finically with my new proposed installation work titled, "Have You Heard Me? Have You Seen Me?". In addition to the exhibition, there will be an opening event with the collaboration with a contemporary Taiwanese dancer, Pin-Han Lin, and voice performers from sister voice of Chapel Hill. Throughout history, women's voices have often been silenced. Yet, silence itself can send a loud and clear message. It is this concept--the voice of a silent force--that I have chosen to portray through the assemblage of hundreds of rusted bells that no longer make any sound in my 2019 work called: The Noise We Made. Each bell is hand-dipped in wax, and this technique expresses the compelling sensation of hidden voices that have been forced into silence. Their inner presence echoes through the silent bells, acknowledging the resiliency of women. For the new installation, I use objects including wax-coated rusted bells, transparent collar supporters, and ceramic spoons. I portray women's voices that have been forced into silence and I plan to collaborate a contemporary dancer and a singer/singers to explore various ways of express our voice, such as objects, body language, and pure voice without words. "Have You Heard Me? Have You Seen Me?" installation is a total of 35-40 transparent plastic shirt collar supporters (referred to as "collar sculpture" below) will each be secured in a circle shape and attached to the long walls of the main gallery in the Carrboro Art Center. Each collar-sculpture will be embroidered with repeating text in white thread, including phrases such as: Have You Seen Me? Have You Heard Me?, Where is My Home? Am I Too Loud? Am I beautiful? Each collar sculpture will be 8 inches wide and suspended approximately five feet from the ground. A length of hand- dyed gradation color thread will be looped through each collar sculpture with 8-10 feet of thread left to reach to the center of gallery. The thread reaches towards the center of the gallery. Each piece of string will be weighted to the floor by a rusted wax-dipped bells or a red wax-stained white ceramic spoon, creating an organic space. Through this space created by different objects, a dancer will interact with the sculpture, exploring the connected objects and discovering each ceramic spoon contains a red wax stain following by the voice created by children from sister voice of Chapel Hill. Partly funding will go to documentation for the recording event as well as interview recording with children to talk about how they like their own voice and why anomalously which could accompany with the duration of the exhibition or development for future works. Financially supports are greatly needed for this collaboration to develop and to present for the public. Hope this project will create a new voice for young girls for generation to come. Community Impact Inspired by recent events related to women's right across the nation. This project will increase public awareness and celebrated women's resilience. With the collaboration with a young Taiwanese dancer and members from sister's voice proving a great dynamic force in the propose space and in the community. Sister Voice was founded in 2008 by Leandra Strope and was formed to give girls between the ages of eight and fourteen a place to develop their voices and create beauty in the world, and to understand how their own voices can make a difference. As girls develop a supportive community and develop competence with their voices, they come to embody confidence, both in singing and in relationships, which can then carry them through their lives.