In 2023, I was awarded a remote artist residency and grant from Gist Yarn to develop a community-centered textile project, which was completed in 2024. Titled Fearless Woven Colors, the project focused on empowering youth through weaving as a medium for storytelling, self-expression, and public art. In collaboration with the Norris Square Neighborhood Project (NSNP), a grassroots organization in a historically Puerto Rican neighborhood of Philadelphia, I led a five-week series of rigid heddle weaving workshops designed to explore identity, cultural heritage, and the meaning of “home” in the face of gentrification.

The youth participants co-created a large-scale public art installation using their own writings and weavings, which they later assembled into a colorful, house-like structure made from reclaimed wood and suspended textiles. Their contributions—raw, honest, and deeply insightful—became both personal and collective declarations of resilience. The final unveiling in Raíces Garden served as a joyful celebration of community, culture, and creative agency, highlighting the importance of preserving cultural identity through the transformative power of art.