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Participating in The Birth Project

While The Birth Project is about making works of art, you don't have to be an artist to participate.  Many kinds of skill, talent, and resource are needed.

Usually the first step for people interested in working on The Birth Project is to write to the office.  They are then sent application forms to complete, giving information about them and their pertinent skills or areas of interest.  After returning the application, they are sent sample assignments in their chief areas of interest, e.g. needleworkers receive an 8"x10" design to transfer onto fabric or canvas to be worked in any stitches and colors they desire.  They need do only as much of the design as necessary to demonstrate their skill and are asked to return the sampler within two months of receiving it.  After successfully completing the sampler, a needleworker might go on to work on a large scale group project or a smaller scale individual piece.  Non-needleworkers go through a similar process by completing sample assignments in research, newsletter writing, organizing, fundraising proposals, etc.

As you know from some of the other articles in this issue, there is a large administrative arm of The Birth Project which functions to keep track of the individual and group needlework projects, to make sure all work is fully documented, to keep the necessary records for the non-profit corporation, and to facilitate communications among project members.

Other managerial needs, of course, come up as the course of the project evolves.  These might involve brainstorming sessions, meeting and event planning, accommodating the periodic review sessions of art work in progress, etc.

Another major effort now being coordinated through the Benicia office is this newsletter.  Although there is a team of people already committed to producing it, newcomers are welcome.  If you can write, copy-edit, proofread, take photographs, do layout and paste up, or if you have access to typesetting, a copy camera, printing equipment, etc., you can make a big contribution to keeping the people of The Birth Project in touch with each other.

Also, at this early stage in The Birth Project there is a need for people who are interested in doing research about birth, circumstances of birth, other birth images, creation myths, cultural biases about birth, and establishing research records for this material.

An ongoing need throughout the project is for people to do photo documentation of the quilts, embroideries and other works plus photos of individuals and groups working within The Birth Project.  If you live relatively near a Birth Project office (for now, the San Francisco Bay Area and Houston, Texas) have your own camera equipment and/or a darkroom, your skills are needed.

An important area of preparation for the ultimate success of The Birth Project is that of exhibition.  Since the works of The Birth Project will not depend on established museums for display, or even on museum conditions at all, a wide range of possibilities and circumstances for exhibition ae available.  These need to be defined, considered, researched and communicated about now, early in the project.  Somewhat later on there will be a good deal of work involved in storing the completed works and administrating their shipping and exhibition arrangements.

If you want to be involved in The Birth Project please don't be shy about what you know how to do.  Your efforts could make a big difference in getting the work of The Birth Project done.

[[image]]
The Goddess Tlazolteotl  This image is one of the few known works in art history depicting birth. (Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.)

We are presently organizing an extensive research project.  Our aim is to collect creating myths, legends and images.  The research is being coordinated by Roni Simon on the West Coast and Julia Mazow in the Southwest.