Guide These, My Hands is a sculpture in fabric, embroidery thread, and steel created by sculptor Danielle Hatch and poet Traci Rae Manos. Traci’s poem Foothills Healer is hand-sewn into a continuous ruffle made of 126 yards of weatherproof nylon. The artwork honors the compassion and resilience of the women of Northwest Arkansas and celebrates traditional folk medicine practiced in the Ozark Mountains. The magenta fabric evokes the flower of the wild burdock plant, known for its medicinal properties.
The following videos and photos document the fabrication and installation of the artwork...
Thank you to the 22 volunteers - all women living in Northwest Arkansas - who helped embroider the artwork.
Thank you to the translators of the poem into Spanish and Hmong:
Thank you to the fabricator of the steel frame:
-Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette: What's Up section: "Layers of Meaning: Art and poetry speak to resilience of women" by Janelle Jessen appears (March 21)
-Visit Bentonville: "International Women's Day 2021: Celebrating the Women Who Create, Lead & Inspire" by Aaron Mullins (March 5)
-Siloam Springs Herald Leader: "Layers of Meaning: A Siloam Springs poet collaborates on a Bentonville art installation" by Janelle Jessen (March 7)
-Good Day NWA: "Public Art, Pro-Cycling, and How to Get Cheesy" by Jason Suel (March 16)
-Free News Weekly "Layers of Meaning: Art and Poetry Speak to Resilience of Women" (March 26)