Artist Team: Rakhee Jain Desai & Melissa Knight
AIPP Program Manager: Alex Irrera

Facbricator: Kyle Albrecht & team at Welding Shop Austin
Engineer: Erin Salmatanis at Craft Structural
Renderings: Tom Mason

City of Austin Art in Public Places - An original work owned and commissioned by the City of Austin.

Harmonic Strings: The offset archways showcase tennis' energy, strength, and dynamism that built the community for 50 years. The colorful strings draw inspiration from the community, the tennis racket, rally and also pay tribute to Blondie Pharr, drawing inspiration from the lines of music and harmony.

Many thanks to everyone who helped and supported us along the way! Special thank you to our families!

Photo Credit: Jana Birchum.

I am currently facilitating One Million Stars Texas, part of the global star weaving project One Billion Stars (formerly The One Million Stars to End Violence Project), created by weaving artist Maryann Talia Pau in Australia (2012).

One Billion Stars is an international weaving project that invites communities around the world to weave these symbols of light, courage and solidarity to end all forms of violence. This project aims to build community connections and a positive impact on local issues of violence using a traditional Indigenous/Pasifika weaving craft: star weaving.

“Building community connections and creating a safe sense of belonging is the heart of our star weaving movement. Every time a person weaves a star, they are making a small but active stance against violence. Weaving stars helps us to feel less alone, less overwhelmed by the enormity of violence and more confident to face the next step.” Maryann Talia Pau

We launched our Texas project in November 2020. Since then, we have grown a star weaving community in Texas. Our goals for the project are to connect communities, be in conversation around issues of violence, collaborate with organizations and work together to grow our star weaving movement for violence free communities - to join together in our solidarity against all forms of violence. In Spring, 2023 we reached our first milestone goal of weaving 10,000 stars together!

Visit: www.onemillionstarstexas.net for more information and to get involved

In Spring, 2019, I collaborated with mosaic artist Ryah Christensen to facilitate a community mosaic project at Rosewood Zaragosa Neighborhood Center located in East Austin. The community project consisted of four workshops: a design workshop, followed by tile making and tile glazing workshops. Ryah brought everyone’s designs together to create a working design. From the template design, there were a number of shapes for community members to choose from to create individual ceramic tiles. Following the glazing and tile firing process, Ryah assembled and fabricated the mosaic (7Ft x 7Ft). The mosaic was installed at the entrance of Rosewood Zaragosa Neighborhood Center in September, 2019. Nella Buffmire, Azucena Garza, Mary Kraemer and Veronica Vivanco provided Spanish translation/interpretation as well as creative support during the community workshops. Special thanks to Sun McColgin who fabricated the frame for the mosaic and installed the mosaic with Ryah. Members of the community and City of Austin staff and officials came together for an informal reception to celebrate the installation of the community mosaic, November 6, 2019. Press for the Community Quilt Mosaic: KUT Arts Eclectic & KXAN Community Spotlight

Workshop photos by: David Comeau Photography

The Community Mosaic project was supported by: The Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Austin Creative Alliance, Hotel San José, Fort Structures, Harvest Lumber Co., East Side Pies, The Side Bar, H.E.B. ( East 7th St location), and community members through Kickstarter.

In it’s third year, Fairyland was a magical and interactive installation. Visitors to Fairyland wrote their wishes and intentions for the new year, adding them to the growing Fairyland installation. Visitors also made wands and decorated fairy doors. Special thanks to Nella Buffmire, Mary Kraemer, Aurora Banks & Devin Gaffney for helping to create a magical Fairyland experience at Austin’s New Year!

“Don’t you know that everybody’s got a fairyland of their own?” P.L. Travers (Author of Mary Poppins)

“Don’t you know that everybody’s got a fairyland of their own?” P.L. Travers (Author of Mary Poppins)

Fairyland II Installation was part of Austin’s New Year, 2018. This fairy flower circle installation was interactive and the installation grew over the course of New Year’s Eve to welcome in the new year. Visitors added a flower to the circle, wrote their wishes and intentions for the new year adding them to the installation and had the opportunity to create intention wands. Even though it was very cold, Fairyland was filled with magic!

Photo credit: David Comeau Photography

Interwoven, held in October, 2017, was a series of four workshops held at Rosewood Zaragosa Neighborhood Center.

Through Interwoven, a designated community art space was created for people to come together to weave. Interwoven is a visual representation of connection and interconnection in our community. Throughout the project, participants would work on weaving one piece and the next week work on another. Interwoven was a truly collaborative project.

Special thanks to Nella Buffmire and Mary Kraemer for providing Spanish translation/interpretation and creative support for the workshops and exhibit!

Interwoven Exhibit was held in November, 2017 “Happening” of East Austin Studio Tour, contributing to this important cultural arts event. 

Photo credit: David Comeau Photography

Interwoven was supported by The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division, Awesome Foundation Austin & Bread for the Journey of Austin

“Don’t you know that everybody’s got a fairyland of their own?” P.L. Travers

Fairyland Installation was part of Austin’s New Year, 2017. This fairy garden installation was interactive and the installation grew over the course of New Year’s Eve to welcome in the new year. Visitors wrote their wishes and intentions for the new year adding them to the installation and had the opportunity to decorate fairy doors. The weather was perfect, Shiny Ribs headlined the show and Fairyland was truly magical!

Pictured are some examples of the wonderful collage artworks made by participants, mostly children, at Maker Faire Austin, New Day (Elisabet New Museum), Travis Heights Elementary School’s Young Artists Workshop and Gilbert Elementary School.

During our community workshops, participants create collage designs using the artist’s colorful batik fabric. All materials are provided. Participants are offered the opportunity to create individual collage designs as well as contribute to a community collage art work.

For information about hosting collage workshops at your school or event, please contact me via the online form on my website.