The Holding Project is a large-scale, concertina book structure that consists of multiple panels that hold individual responses to the questions:  “What makes you feel safe?” “What makes you feel unsafe?” This structure allows the book to expand infinitely as individuals add responses, cumulatively creating a community response. The Holding Project appeared at Momentum Arts Festival, the Toledo Lucas County Libraries and other locations in 2021, and will be exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art Library, University of Toledo Carlson Library and Toledo Lucas County Main Library in 2022.

Artists Ashley Pryor Geiger, Barbara WF Miner and Lee Fearnside created The Holding Project as a response to the rise of anti-AAPI   (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) violence. We reflected on the increasing polarization of American society that makes it difficult to share experiences with violence. As three white artists, we were aware that we could not speak for a community to which we did not  belong, so we turned to the larger community to create a dialogue about feelings of safety and unsafety, and how these feelings about community shape individual’s lives.

Below are resources for understanding the context of anti-AAPI violence, empathy and antiracism:

Did you know that you can educate yourself about
bystander intervention? Here’s a link: Hollaback- A movement to end harassment
in public spaces powered by local activists.

Hollaback!
Detroit – We are on a Mission to End Harrassment in All its Forms

Did you know that there are some easy ways that you
can act as an ally to the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
Community?  Six Ways
to be an Ally to the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
Community

Did you know that there are many anti-racism
resources available?  Here are some resources: Anti-Racism
Resources for the AAPI Community | Asian American Studies Program Cornell Arts
& Sciences , Shaping
an Anti-Racist School Culture | Teach For America

Did you know that Stanford University provides an
anti-racist toolkit for use in the workplace? Anti-Racism
Toolkit | Cardinal at Work

Did you know that you can choose
Kindness?  Here’s a link to learn more: About Kindness.org - What If You Had The Power
To Change The World?

Did you know that you can cultivate
empathy? Here’s an interesting article: How to
Be More Empathetic - A Year of Living Better Guides

Did you know that there are some
great articles about interracial empathy? Here’s one: On Empathy:
Some Advice For White Folk From A Black Coach

Did you know that art can be a tool
of social change?

Gallery
Archive , Art —
Fine Acts, About |
SATELLITE COLLECTIVE - NYC - KEVIN DRAPER

Did you know that there are
wonderful books for kids about racism and anti-racism? Here’s one:  Stamped
(For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You Book Review

Did you know that the U.S. Small
Business Association has a website dedicated to Minority-owned Businesses? Minority-owned
businesses sba.gov

Did you know that the book, Hair Love by Matthew A Cherry,
celebrates a little girl’s relationship with her dad (and her beautiful natural
hair)?

https://socialjusticebooks.org/hair-love-3/

Did you know that the website, Social Justice Books:
A Teaching for Change Project has fabulous, age-appropriate suggestions for
kids about books dealing with race?

About , Guide for Selecting
Anti-Bias Children’s Books

Did you know that 22 million Asian
Americans trace their ancestry to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast
Asia and the Indian subcontinent, each with unique cultures, languages, and
histories? Pew
Research Center

Did you know that the Asian American community is
civically minded:  According to recent Census
data  Asian Americans increased their turnout rate by more than any other
racial or ethnic group between the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections? US
Census

Did
you know that 67% of job seekers consider workplace diversity an important
value when considering employment opportunities? Glassdoor

Did you know that according to the
Harvard Business review a diverse workforce helps drive innovation? Companies
with higher-than-average diversity had 19% higher innovation revenues. Harvard Business Review

Did you know that Americans’ views about
diversity are changing?  Compared to 2016 more Americans feel positively
the
long-term rise in U.S. racial and ethnic diversity is more positive than it was
in 2016. Pew Research Center

Last spring I was asked to write about my then in-progress project, Field Guide to Animal Adaptations, for the Scientific American blog. Check out the full article!

We were interviewed by blogger and author Anthony Avina about ORD, writing, art and inspiration. It was a great opportunity to reflect, and lots of fun. Thanks Anthony!

Read it here.