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Braiding Circles

Community Workshops by Veronica Perez

Veronica Perez’s Braiding Circles, is a community-building project with a mission to combat feelings of isolation and create spaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds feel a sense of belonging. Drawing inspiration from her family history and the ongoing struggle for cross-cultural understanding, Veronica emphasizes the importance of interdependency and empathy in our survival.

These are FREE workshops that offer participants a unique opportunity to engage meaningfully with heritage, art, and community. By braiding together and sharing stories, attendees create beautiful artworks and contribute to a collective archive of resilience and belonging. 

Prior registration is needed to join the Braiding Circle! Make sure to RSVP

Workshop Date Signups:

  • April 18, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
  • April 19, 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
  • April 20, 1:00PM to 3:00 PM

About the project

Braiding Circles is not just a workshop series; it’s a community-building project with a mission to combat feelings of isolation and create spaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds feel a sense of belonging. Drawing inspiration from her familial history and the ongoing struggle for cross-cultural understanding, Veronica emphasizes the importance of interdependency and empathy in our survival.

“Interdependency and cross-cultural understanding are essential to our ongoing survival. Using this frame of reference for the work enables anyone to engage with this project to create empathy and understanding.” Veronica’s familial history, deeply impacted by the Puerto Rican diaspora and ongoing colonization, adds a personal dimension to the project. “My father, Miguel, was in the Puerto Rican diaspora when he was five years old,” Veronica shares. “This subsequent ongoing colonization of PR and moving folx out of their land fractured my familial history and left my father, and me, with a false sense of identity.”

Through braiding circles, Veronica invites participants to explore their identities and histories while engaging in the communal act of braiding. After the workshops, participants are invited to share their stories, which become integral to the artistic process. These stories, combined with the braids created during the workshops, are transformed into sculptures that resonate with humanity through sculpture and sound.

“The goal of this project,” Veronica emphasizes, “is to broaden the berth of shared and archived stories.” Drawing inspiration from the longstanding oral storytelling tradition in Black, Latinx, and Indigenous cultures, Braiding Circles seeks to preserve history and social practices while addressing feelings of isolation and loneliness in communities. Through this project, histories are kept alive, and communities are given a space to heal collectively from the impacts of white supremacy.

 

About the Artist

Veronica Perez is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural educator, and advocate for preserving traditional heritage and culture. With a passion for community engagement and cultural exchange, Veronica’s work seeks to bridge the past with the present, honoring the rich tapestry of global heritage. Through her workshops, exhibitions, and public art installations, she strives to create spaces that celebrate diversity, promote dialogue, and inspire creativity.

 

sign up for a Workshop

Thursday april 18, 2024 | 6:00am - 8:00pM
Friday, april 19, 2024 | 4:30Pm - 6:30pm
Saturday, april 20, 2024 | 1:00Pm - 3:00pM

Phone

215.426.3311

Address

2600 N. 5TH STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19133

Email

info@tallerpr.org