Letters to Parents
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Letters to Parents .
A 5 year project that will continue to grow and develop as I am.
Letter to Parents" was an interactive art installation I installed on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. I proposed the question, "What is something you wish your parents had told you?" Students were able to participate and be involved with the art piece. I laid out materials such as paper, pens, and envelopes for people to write letters to their parents and after they were done, they would send it off and place it in the mailbox.
The installation had accumulated hundreds of letters with each response being unique and different from the last. My intent for this project was to start a conversation and have people interact with not just the installation but with each other. These people have held back a lot of their feelings and emotions for so long and I hoped that is was a catalyst for them to talk about family topics and open up to friends, family, or even strangers. It may not solve all of the issues these people are dealing with but hopefully it's the first step in the right direction where they feel comfortable in talking to someone whether it be with a therapist, a friend, a family member, etc.
2019
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The first day Letters to Parents was installed on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. I received 150+ letters within the first week.
Letters to Parents
Through the Years.
2022
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I continued working on this project through COVID because I wanted to explore familial dynamics through this difficult time. I reached out to artists to create artwork based off of some of the responses I received. This was the first time I was able to present the letters, artworks, and create a re-creation of a child’s bedroom.
2023
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I got another opportunity through the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission to install Letters to Parents in the Glendale Central Library. Here I learned how to adapt to this space and consider how to make the space still feel comforting and similar to a bedroom.
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I have always seen Letters to Parents as a project that will continuously grow and evolve because I will continue to change as a person. During some of the biggest changes in my life, I have been able to pour those emotions and feelings into this project. Each of those stages has a very specific part of me and I hope to continue adding new developments of myself into Letters to Parents.
2023
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Months after the installation at Glendale Central Library, I installed Letters to Parents at the Glendale Adams Square Park where I was able to work with an enclosed space seen from all sides. This was Letters to Parents at its most complete.
