We made it just in time to Gallery Aferro’s Artisan Market on Dec. 17th. A short walk from Prudential Center or Newark Penn Station, last-minute shoppers were offered unique, eclectic items for friends, or as treats for yourself. With a backdrop of Danielle Scott’s “Ancestral Call” curated by Anthony E. Boone and Bryant Small, it was one of the last times to see this installation in Newark, NJ at Gallery Aferro. Artist Eleven Muldrow, was sporting her ensemble creation. She is considered an Upcycle Artist. When it comes to her artistic clothing creations, she is making a fashion statement and making art with the eclectic use of these materials. Upcycling is the reuse of discarded objects or found materials used in such a way as to create an end-product at higher quality and value than the originals. In other words, “The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts” – as said by Aristotle. This creative use of materials is the process of transforming by-products, or unwanted items, by elevating them as new creations to a higher level of value and greater quality. By creating and designing all of her own clothing, Eleven Muldrow has covered herself from head to toe with her headdress down to her shoes. The upstairs gallery housed Gallery Aferro’s Annual Affordable Art Sale, with several of the artists on-site to talk about their work. It is rewarding to know that proceeds go to support art programs and local artists.
