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Project

to begin work. Thereafter, many people have come up with imaginative solutions to finance the completion of the work. One woman, Etta Hallock, asked all her friends to contribute a skein of thread when she ran out of what I had provided. Recently shares of stock were donated, and the proceeds from their sale allowed the purchase of a quantity of materials and the renting of an office space. This has been supplemented by small donations that have begun to appear, just as they did for The Dinner Party. I am again contributing my own hard-earned money to The Birth Project. (No, I am not independently wealthy, nor have I made any money from The Dinner Party.) I support myself and my artmaking through sales of individual work (early paintings, drawings, preliminary sketches, etc.), lectures and book royalties. In the event we are able to develop sufficient financial support for The Birth Project, I hope to receive a modest salary and have the expenses of the project met.  If this does not happen, I intend to continue to work in my usual way - facing each problem as it comes and trying to invent a solution so that the work can continue.  

The range of work already in progress and projected is varied.  In some cases, people are working individually on either small or large works. Others are working in groups or in projects designed to incorporate both a group activity and individual works. In Chico, a community about 100 miles from Benicia, people are trying to form a quilting group to fabricate one large image of The Crowning which will be bordered by 24 individual quilts of the same image, tied together by color. The procedure involves forming the group, making a model of quilt based on my painted pattern and providing samples to people who are geographically too far away to participate in the group quilt. Upon completion, these samples will indicate the proficiency of the person and also the techniques to be used on the small individual quilts. Thus, the center quilt and its borders can be coordinated and then put together. The process of making all this happen requires that the people involved learn to work together and develop support for their activity.  

In addition to embroideries, quilts and needlepoints, some people have introduced special techniques that have allowed the development of unique projects. These already include whitework, knitting and crochet. I look forward to the submission of samples that could further expand the range of techniques to be incorporated into The Birth Project images. Each pattern will be translated into six to 12 small embroideries, six to eight quilts, one large and three small hand painted needlepoint canvases, and as I mentioned, a number of special techniques. 

At first, I provided only a black and white pattern and, in some cases, selected fabrics for the quilts and threads for the embroideries.  Generally, unless I provided the color context or unless the work was to be executed in a single tone, giving out only black and white patterns didn't work.  Therefore, I have recently prepared a series of hand-drawn images on fabric to be embroidered directly over my drawing and have sprayed images on fabric to be appliqued, embroidered, embellished and quilted.  These required a great deal of preparation and will be given out to individuals and/or groups when they have completed the application procedure and are ready to begin work. Thereafter, we will communicate in person, by letter, phone or tape on a regular basis.  

The Birth Project, as you can see, is going to be an adventure.  I hope you'll join with me to make it a success. 

JC Benicia, 1981

[[image]]
Another group project is taking place with a group of students taught by Ann Piper (seated center). Sally Babson (at left) is the Technical Supervisor for The Birth Project. (Juliet Myers)