The Spirit Garment Project
draws upon
significant support from a diverse group of highly accomplished women from my Pittsburgh writing communities.
These Project Poets contributed the textile items that I made into paper during my 2026 Contemporary Craft Residency that I am currently cutting and stitching into “spirit garments” for my 7-foot-high paper pulp sculptures of female figures representing the concepts of softness, courage, and joy foci of my on-going HerStory series.
Poems/essays written by the poets about their items are incorporated throughout the installation.
A poetry reading/performance will be staged as part of the exhibition and small self-published books of the exhibition poems will be sold with a percentage of the sales donated to support local women in need.
examples of poets’ contributed clothing
The Spirit Garment Project Poets
are women who are affiliated with multiple Pittsburgh area writing and artistic communities (Madwomen in the Attic, Anthropology of Motherhood, #notwhite collective, City of Asylum) including Radiant Hall.
HerStory Healing Maps: THE SPIRIT GARMENTS
an un/common lines in-community project
created and directed by artist Marilyn J. Narey
pulp and paperworks
The Spirit Garment Community Poets
Advisory Committee
Poet Laureate (Allegheny County), Educator, City of Asylum, Cave Canem, Madwomen
Advisory Committee
Author, Sewist, South Hills Writing Group, Holy Cross Greek Mission
Advisory Committee
Poet, Creative, Pittsburgh Poetry Society
Advisory Committee
Poet, Artist, Managing Editor Soul Pitt Quarterly, Madwomen, Sweetwater Board member
Advisory Committee
Writer, Director of Madwomen (Carlow), Radiant Hall alum
Poet, Educator, Madwomen, POWER house (facilitator)
Poet, Artist, Anthropology of Motherhood, #not white collective, Madwomen
Poet, Co-editor of University of Pitt Poetry Series, Madwomen
Poet, Educator, Pittsburgh Poetry Society, Empowered Educators, Radiant Hall
Poet, Actor, Playwright, South Hills Writing Group, Little Lake Theater, South Park Theater
Poet, Artist, Contemporary Craft, FiberArts Guild Board Member
Poet, Writer, Editor, Educator, Doctoral Candidate, Madwomen
Freelance Writer, Author, South Hills Writing Group, Lebo Green
Poet, 5th & Wood Poets Madwomen
Poet, Writer, Support Group Facilitator, 5th & Wood Poets Radiant Hall, Madwomen
Poet, Artist, Educator, Series Editor Voices in the Attic, Madwomen
un/common lines creates unique opportunities for women in Allegheny County to come together to engage in craft for personal fulfillment, community, and activism. Through collaborative artistic experiences and collective instructional exchanges, un/common lines endeavors to promote women’s individual knowledge, self-reflection, motivation, and recovery as different communities of artistic practice come together in a shared creative space that extends the opportunity and capacity for support, socialization, service, and activism.
