Sounds of brass and merriment filled the streets of Cambridge during the Honk! Festival parade on Sunday, October 6. The face of the procession was a bright, patchworked banner, its eclectic array of colors and textures exuding the liveliness and diversity of Honk! and the nearly 40 people who helped stitch it in the streets of Davis Square the day before.
“I wanted to build something that matched that energy (of Honk!)—a tactile experience where people from all walks of life could come together and collaborate,” said Alexandra Adamo, the force behind the collaborative art project. Adamo is a multidisciplinary artist, community facilitator, and the owner of Alex Makes Art, a business focused on creating intergenerational hands-on crafting experiences. Describing her unique blend of activism and creativity, she calls herself a “craftivist”.
On the second day of the Honk! Festival, which ran this year from October 4-6 in various locations around Somerville and Cambridge, Adamo set up two tables offering collaborative art projects for festival participants. One of these welcomed passersby to try their hand at sewing, adding a stitch—or several—to the banner that would be held in the following day’s parade.
The table was a hit, attracting dozens of people, some of whom were wielding needle and thread for the first time. “There was a sense of wonder in the air, with people of all ages feeling empowered to contribute to something larger than themselves,” said Adamo.
The materials for the project were sourced from a combination of community donations and second-hand resources. Kelly Harris Smith, a Bostonian textile and product designer donated high-end carpet samples that were pieced together as the banner’s background and Canal District Kendall contributed the vinyl banner—originally from Kendall Square’s Vitamin Sea Brewing—onto which the fabric pieces were sewn. Adamo and her team saved folks from, arguably, the most challenging sewing step by pre-threading needles with yarn, some of which was handspun and donated by Beth Guertin of A Place to Weave in Leominster.
“All these materials, rich with their own stories, were transformed into something new through the hands of our participants,” said Adamo.
Adamo had support from about 10 others who helped behind the scenes. Together, they created an environment that encouraged participation from seasoned sewers and first-timers alike. The table prompted curiosity, inviting people to watch, ask questions, take part, and see the piece evolve throughout the afternoon.
In the end, “the core message was one of togetherness and the beauty of collective action,” said Adamo. “The piece symbolizes how, when we gather and connect, we can create something larger than the sum of our individual parts.” It was also about transformation, sustainability, reuse, and the sense of ownership imbued by the creative process. Ultimately, she hoped people would leave “with the realization that art is for everyone.”
Want to stay in the loop on all things art? Get SOME in your inbox by subscribing!
Comments