HIGHLIGHT VERY SPECIAL ARTBREAK

Durham, NC, architect and sculptural artist, Eliza Redmann is coming to ArtBreak 2024 and its Very Special Arts Festival (VSAF), where the achievements of all Caddo Parish Students are celebrated like nowhere else. The 2024 ArtBreak and the Caddo Schools Department of Exceptional Children with Dr. Sheila Lockett, Director, and SRAC are excited to showcase Redmann, who will provide professional demonstration of her Folded Poetry and art training to students of ALL Abilities at several Caddo Parish Schools throughout the week and demonstrations on Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13 at the Shreveport Convention Center.

Redmann is a sculptor, architect, and founder of Folded Poetry design studio based in Durham. Originally from Minnesota, she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2013 to complete her Masters of Architecture at NCSU College of Design. A car accident upended her health, personal life, and career as an architect, and she was forced to reinvent herself. Redmann found a way to utilize her creative potential for healing by creating functional art. Her passion to create is driven by her changed experience of life after a traumatic brain injury. Both the function and aesthetic of her work are born out of experiencing disability.

“I’m delighted to participate in ArtBreak 2024,” says Redmann. “The turning point in my recovery came when I showed up for myself by allowing my inner compass to lead me toward creativity and paper sculpture. Creating is a spiritual practice which has brought transformative healing into my life. Folded Poetry has given my life the forward momentum necessary to pull myself out of disability. My creativity and my holistic health are inextricably intertwined, and through this union I celebrate inclusivity in art.”

Redmann says her Folded Poetry is inspired by the persistent visual disturbances she is forced to manage on a daily basis. Often when she looks at patterns, they appear to swim or move on their own accord, much like an optical illusion. Through her art, she seeks to capture the structure of regular patterns and shapes, while adding a layer of geometric information which the eyes and brain can’t quite make sense of. This visual disorientation is designed to challenge viewers to perceive outside of what is normal or traditional, just as she must now live, adapt, and navigate the world in new ways.

Redmann uses 3D modeling software to create her works of art in a digital space. She then ‘unfolds’ it piece by piece and flattens each entity to be printed, cut, and folded - born into its physical form. She uses simple materials - cardstock paper, foam board, and Elmer’s glue and selectively uses color to enhance the geometry, focusing primarily online and shadow. To see Eliza’s work, go to www.foldedpoetry.com

The Very Special Arts Festival has been a featured part of ArtBreak for almost 30 of its 38 years, encouraging artistic expression in people of all backgrounds and abilities while highlighting the transformative power of the arts. VSAF showcases the power of inclusive opportunities that allow individuals to show what they are able to do. Together, ArtBreak and VSAF nurture and recognize the vital role of arts education for students with disabilities, from pre-K through the 12th grade, to sustain achievement academically, socially, and as engaged citizens of the 21st century.