Poster with artwork by Alyna and Allison. Poster design by Rodeo Studio at Portland State University
Adriene Cruz:Kindred Spirits/Espíritus Afines with Ms. Maalaea’s First Grade Class
December 5, 2024 - March 6, 2025
Adriene Cruz was KSMoCA’s Fall 2024 artist-in-residence. She is a Portland-based textile artist whose work seeks to embody the spiritual and cultural essence of the African Diaspora. Using bright colors, symbolism, embellishments, and bold patterns, she creates artworks that honor her ancestral roots and serve as channels of healing and blessings. Although her adoration for textiles and African prints was informed by her mother’s colorful crochet artwork and the cultural richness of her neighborhood in Harlem, New York, she did not begin sewing and quilt making until she moved to Portland in the 1980s. For Cruz, her quilts, or what she terms “threaded rituals,” allow her to visually convey that which is not easily spoken, particularly as it relates to the spirit. As such, she considers her work to be “living art” reflective of various stages of her spiritual journey—an embodiment of the love of her ancestors, spirit guides, and angels that have collectively contributed to her survival. In addition to her textiles, Cruz’s public artworks include murals, banners, decorative trash bins, and mosaics that have been displayed in different sites across Northeast Portland.
"The art I create fulfills a powerful desire to express visually what's not easily spoken, a passion for color, a love of symbols, and a deep interest in matters of the Spirit. Gifts of my ancestors, angels, and spirit guides celebrating the power of art beyond visual image flows through me as a celebration of survival. Ancestral roots real and imagined offer a base to channel elements of healing and blessings," said Cruz.
Adrienne Cruz was born and raised in Harlem and has lived in Portland since 1983. She attended the High School of Art and Design and received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. She has exhibited internationally in Brazil, Costa Rica, and South Africa. Nationally, her work has been shown at the Smithsonian, American Folk Art Museum, The Museum of Art and Design (formerly American Craft Museum), Museum of Biblical Art, Museum of the African Diaspora, National Civil Rights Museum, Fowler Museum at UCLA, Portland Art Museum, and The BLACK Gallery in Portland.
Adriene Cruz, Fall 2024 KSMoCA Visiting Artist
Workshops with Adriene Cruz
As part of her residency, Cruz collaborated with Ms. Maalaea’s first-grade class on a series of “feelings quilts”. This allowed students the opportunity to connect themes of color, emotions, shapes, and feelings. During the first workshop, Cruz led students through the process of creating bold, colorful compositions on foam core boards using shapes and patterns made of different fabrics. In the second workshop, students finished their “quilts” with reflective and decorative adornments similar to Cruz’s pieces. Arranged side by side, the finished panels form a quilt that visually conveys a spectrum of feelings and emotions using decorative, vibrant abstract designs.
Artist Talk with Adriene Cruz and Exhibition Opening
Over 50 students from different grades gathered in the school library for Cruz’s artist talk. She answered many questions from the audience, such as where did you make art when you were a kid and who did your hair? Every attendee received a copy of a small magazine about Cruz that was created by Portland State University students. After the talk, Cruz and students in Ms. Maalaea’s class gave visitors tours of the exhibit. Families, classmates, school staff, and members of the public were all invited to attend and celebrate.