Hello from Ellum Thicket is a grouping of 14 pieces consisting of acrylic portraits
on fabric as well as mixed media collages.  The work is about a well known
neighborhorhood in North Dallas mostly known by NorthPark and the ongoing
changes and turmoil brought on by gentrification.  Instead of focusing on the
houses and structures only, the idea was to approach the exhibition from a
humanistic point of view.  The portraits center on my family specifically and the
home we all lived in which served as the hub for the whole family.  Each piece
points out a specific time and or area of the neighborhood.  Some of the pieces
also deal with the damage of gentrification and its ethical dilemma.  The collaging
as well as the styling of each piece give a whimsical child like look to the
exhibition and help lend itself to the narrations told by my 11 year old
perspective.  With the exception of the portraits, each piece is accompanied with
a particular story or event that happened on a 7 x 5 card posted to the right of the
painting. 
My hope is that viewers will come away with the education of this longstanding
neighborhood as well as a sense of the importance of community and legacy.  I
also hope that viewers will start to ponder on better ways to approach change
that will not lead to blatant and intentional displacement and erasure.