Yvonne Shortt is an installation and sculpture artist with a social practice using art to investigate disability, inequality, equity, and access in her community. Each project typically starts with a question of investigation and involves community conversation and collaboration.

Yvonne’s latest initiative, Picks from the Soil : Harvesting Community Narratives, focuses on the creation of afro picks with clay harvested from the river and banks of New Haven. Limited quantities of locally harvested soil will be collected and folded in along with the artists own clay to highlight relevant environmental issues and educate the community about conservation. The artist sees this as an opportunity to discuss wetlands and our responsibilities to them. All local environmental regulations and laws will be adhered to in the course of harvesting soils.

Then, the clay will be used to create picks with sculptures based on community narratives. The pieces will then be pit-fired with bananas and other household items to turn them into ceramic. Metal will be cut and soldered together to create the bottom of the pick.

Read Yvonne’s full statement here.

IRENE MADRIGAL: UNTAPPED NEW YORK
16 NEW PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS IN NYC AUGUST 2021 | August 30, 2021

GOTHAM TO GO
Exploring the Artist, Yvonne Shortt and her Hair Stories in Art + Conversation | August 5, 2021

KATHY CZEPIEL : DAILY NUTMEG
Picking Up Threads | July 13, 2021

JACQUELYN GLEISNER : CONNECTICUT ART REVIEW
Studio Visit: Yvonne Shortt | June 24, 2021

BRIAN SLATTERY : NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
Artist Reaps Harvest Of Empathy | April 21, 2021

Artist Open Call: Hair
With the Artist, Open Call: Hair, Yvonne, Megan, and 8 other artists were self-selected to be part of a call focused on hair. Artists are meeting weekly to build trust and connection using Zoom or in-person conversations. This exploration is impacting the creative process and is a natural way to create a magical experience for the artists before the exhibition. Once the work is installed January-February, there will be opportunities for some artists to be in process in the space to continue the exploration of the work and the magic between artists.

This type of open call is a prototype of Research & Development@A.I.R. Gallery led by Daria Dorosh and Yvonne Shortt. Yvonne and Megan are excited to prototype this open call here and will share the framework for duplication and strengthening.

Creative Collision:
Love’N Co & Yvonne Shortt

“Hair” by Love’N Co is a Collision Room collaboration between Yvonne Shortt and New Haven band Love’N Co. Love’N Co members Lovelind Richards and Lamar Smith wrote “Hair” in response to the hair work Yvonne has been creating.

Enjoy a live performance of “Hair,” performed here at ECOCA on August 1st, 2021.