Heart Scrollathon
Heart Embellished Scrolls 1, 2010. 9 x 9 x 2 inches. Archival board, fiber, beads, metal.
Steven and William Ladd’s sister, Bee Ladd, a teacher at PS 58 in Brooklyn, affectionately referred to her 4th and 5th grade special education class as “The 4/5’s” in an effort to destigmatize them. Throughout the year, Steven and William had engaged in Scrollathons and studio visits with the students. In close proximity to the school, there was an art center called The Invisible Dog, which generously donated thousands of rolls of trimming—ideal material for creating scrolls. This sparked the idea to expand the Scrollathon on a larger scale.
The Ladds decided to initiate an all-school project at PS 58, known as the “Heart Scrollathon,” from January 5 to 15, 2010, with the 4/5’s serving as their assistants. Witnessing the students take on the role of experts within the school was a remarkable experience. During the Scrollathon, each participant had the opportunity to create their own scroll, which they could keep as a personal artifact. Additionally, the students engaged in a tiered collaboration process.
First-grade students sketched scroll designs inspired by the concept of “heart.” Second-grade students traced these sketches with tissue paper and added ink using markers. Third-grade students prepared belt trimmings for the scrolls by cutting and tying them into knots. Fourth-grade students rolled the scrolls using the prepared trimmings. Finally, fifth-grade students embellished the scrolls by adorning them with beads attached to pins. To signify authorship, all participants signed a signature sheet—an introduction to this practice in the Scrollathon. Furthermore, portraits of each participant were created for a permanent record.
The finished collaborative project, along with the students’ individual scrolls, was exhibited at the Ladds’ solo museum show at The Contemporary Museum, Hawaii in 2011.
Support
Special thanks to Andrew Zuckerman, Bee Ladd, Christopher Finlay, Giselle McGee, Jill Akus, Justin Cohen, Lucien Zayan and The Invisible Dog Art Center, and Megan Kimball.
Community Partner
Public School 58 The Carroll School