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About The Artist

Janelle Washington is a paper cut artist from Virginia who explores history, identity, family, and beauty of African-American culture using paper as her medium. While working in the fashion industry, Janelle was presented with an opportunity to display her other artistic talents during a company show and tell presentation. Designing with paper proved to be quite an interesting concept and after extensive research, she designed and made her first paper cut. All her paper cuts and silhouettes are cut using an Exacto knife and one sheet of paper. As a self-taught paper cut artist, Janelle is intrigued by the negative and positive spaces created and the boldness that each of her pieces delivers.

Janelle’s artwork retells a story of the past to current and future generations by adding a present-day perspective by empowerment and reflection. She uses silhouettes, geometric lines, patterns, and African Adinkra symbols to represent the pieces, parts, and details to showcase her African American heritage.

Her paper cuts have been exhibited at the 311 Gallery and Artspace in North Carolina, Southeastern Railway Museum in Georgia, Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She has permanent silhouettes housed at the National Institute of Health and Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture Slavery and

Freedom Gallery in Washington, DC. She is also a member of The Guild of American Papercutters.

About the Exhibit

After creating two paper cuts for the national juried show entitled “Flowers and Gardens” held at the 311 Gallery in Raleigh, North Carolina, artist Janelle Washington was compelled to create the series “Blooming in the Whirlwind”. Drawing inspiration from everyday people and the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks (see “The Second Sermon on the Warpland”), Washington explores innovative ways to express and illustrate the struggles and beauty that emerge in the daily lives of African Americans. 

In our current society, African Americans have had to resort to creating hashtags like #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackBoyJoy to overshadow and change negative stereotypes and narratives. Through the medium of 3-D layered paper cuts, the artist seeks to show the changed narrative by using the faces of the youth, text, flower crowns, symbolic imagery such as Adinkra symbols, and body parts as metaphors. Washington will illuminate the innocence of black youth, the resilience in their eyes, and the many layers of frustration, hope, and joy that they carry. The simplicity of paper silhouettes allows the viewer to focus on the faces- faces that portray one as they are even if the world around them says otherwise. Because "we are in fact the beautiful bloom”.

Related Programming:

Opening Reception: The exhibition will be on display April 9-May 31, 2021 with an opening reception on Friday, April 9, 2021 from 6:30-8:30pm. RSVP is requested. Face masks or shields are required. At the reception, patrons will have the chance to win this piece by Janelle Washington! To enter this raffle, please RSVP; only those who RSVP and are present at the reception are eligible to win.

Blooming in the Whirlwind Flower Crown Workshop: On Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, the youth are invited to create their own paper flower crown with papercut artist Janelle Washington! This workshop will introduce participants to the art of paper crafting and the beautiful history of flower crowns. The registration deadline for this event is Friday, April 9, 2021 at 11:59 pm. PLEASE READ: All materials are included for in-person instruction. Online participants are responsible for their own supplies. For convenience, we offer a Supplies tool-kit (an optional add-on for $11). Included in the supplies tool-kit are all of the necessary supplies for this event, which are:

The deadline to purchase the supplies tool-kit is Friday, April 2, 2021 at 11:59 pm. The tool-kit can be picked up from customer service during business hours between the dates of Wednesday, April 7 - Saturday, April 10, 2021. For in-person registration participants: If you are 15 minutes late to the in-person option for Flower Crown Workshop, your RSVP will be released. If you register for the in-person option and are running late on the day of the event, please notify us ASAP by calling 757-247-8950. After 15 minutes, your space will no longer be guaranteed.

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Reception Images

Exhibit Images