The top shelf, bordered with a wavy edge of sandy light brown canvas, depicts family members arriving to the reunion through a canopy of coconut trees dancing in the breeze. The seven dolls on this shelf are dressed in various brightly colored floral, geometric, paisley, and kente cloth patterns. One doll, just to the left of a central palm tree with a squiggly trunk, has bright red embroidered lips and blue ribbons in her hair. In the back right corner is a bright red port-a-potty with its door ajar, and a silver men’s/women’s room symbol.
	The shelf below is bordered by a jagged zigzag edge of fresh green grass. In the left corner of the shelf, four dolls play double dutch beneath a curly-canopied palm tree. Two dolls wave double white jumpropes suspended in midair, as one doll jumps and another prepares to hop into the game. To their right is a large cardboard slide painted forest green, complete with ladder and handrails. In the center of this shelf is a deep cyan swingset with two swings. On the left swing, an adult-sized doll wearing a head to toe outfit of vegetable-patterned fabric attempts to ride the swing, but, according to Tanisha, she keeps falling off. On the right swing, a small, swaddled infant or child with a yellow bead in their hair is pushed by a blue-eyed doll with elegant blue sashes. To the right of the swings is a set of bright red monkey bars. Along the right side wall of the shelf, several dolls gather around a red boombox and a baby-sized doll, swaddled in lavender cloth, lying peacefully on a large picnic blanket. Two pastel medallions of periwinkle and pink crimped paper decorate the back wall of this shelf.
	The last shelf overlooking the dancefloor is also bordered with green zigzag grass. Dawn, the heart of the party, surrounded by loved ones, sits at a large table full of red, white, and green dishware containing chicken, ribs, plantains or corn, and various other meats, fruits, and vegetables. Dawn wears a red and gold dress and necklace made of lettered beads that spell out ”FIFTEEN DAWN.” Above the table, a banner held up by tiny clothespins reads “ALOHA,” with the letter O represented by large anthropomorphized pineapple. On the left side of the shelf, four beautifully dressed dolls play poker with red & white cards for cardboard chips and cash painted green & red. In the back right corner of this shelf, a doll reaches into an icy cooler labeled “Home Made Igloo” for a rack of ribs nestled between green and red bottles. Closer to the viewer on the right side of the shelf, a doll wearing deep wavy purple tends to a deluxe, 8-burner silver grill, cooking a brown hot link and bright red crab made of clay.
	Finally, on the ground level, we arrive at the dance floor. The entire bottom surface of the window box is covered by a painted grid of rainbow colored squared divided by thin lines of black. A large glass mosaic disco ball, whose diameter equals the height of the dolls, hangs from the shelf above in the center of the floor. Just right of center, a DJ wearing an orange, green, and black kente cloth patterned outfit stands at a table with a black & red vinyl record and a black sampler with silver buttons. On either side of the DJ table are two huge subwoofers with speakers stacked on top that tower over the dancers below. On the right side of the dance floor, three dolls gather around a table with a white tablecloth drinking champagne under a palm tree in the back right corner. On the left side of the dance floor, two dolls drink champagne at a similar, slightly smaller white table with a bowl of fruit on it. Just to the left of the disco ball, partygoers can order drinks from two brown rectangular cardboard bars, staffed by a bartender wearing an outfit of black, white, and brown vertical stripes. Both of the bars have large signs on top of them, labeled “Family Reunion 2025.”


Tanisha Warren Audio Description

D’Lisa’s window box installation depicts a witchy scene. The window box is 8 feet tall, about 5 and a half feet wide, and 2 and a half feet deep. The entire inside box is painted solid cobalt blue. 

In the left corner, a tall figure, likely a mannequin, faces the back of the window box. It wears a long dark blue, velvet cape. Near the top center of the back of the cape, which faces the window, D’Lisa has sewed on three moons. The center moon is nearly perfectly circular and is of a textured gold color. Touching both sides of this round moon are two thin crescent moons, made up of a silvery cloth, that face outward. These are sewed onto the cape with thick gold embroidery thread. The cape has a pointy hood. Its rim is lined with shiny light blue sequins. At the bottom of the cape is a layer of satiny cobalt blue fabric. 

Just to the right of the caped mannequin is a short table covered in a dark purple tablecloth. The table is almost entirely covered in fantastic objects, like tall beeswax candles, small various sized and shaped crystals and stones, a bronze femme statue - which D’Lisa says is the goddess of Love, a brightly beaded and clothed statue - also a goddess -, a wooden mannequin hand doing the ASL “I love you” sign with an evil eye draped over its thumb. Bright, hand-made tarot cards are splayed out at the front of the table, propped up by crystals. Most feature a person, like a pointy hatted witch or a jester, and natural elements like stars, lightning, and rainbows. 

Another, slightly shorter table is positioned next to this one, filling the bottom right corner of the box. It is covered in a lilac purple cloth and more magical objects. A large, empty silver singing bowl is in the center. Around it are ornate silver spoons, more beeswax candles, D’Lisa’s own ceramic cups and bowls with painted suns and creatures, geodes, a small container of Witches Flying Ointment, and a bottle of herbs labeled for Safe Travel. 

Small clear orbs dangle from string, attached around the ceiling of the box. A special crystal surrounded by two rings of metal hangs above the caped figure. 

More rocks, stones, and gems are scattered around the base of the mannequin and tables.

On the back wall of the box, near the right wall, is a self portrait of D’Lisa. She depicts herself with long tan colored hair, aquamarine eyes, a pink lipped smile, aquamarine finger nails, and a light blue single shouldered dress. She is the focus of the portrait, and emits a graceful powerful presence with arms stretched outward. She is in front of a dark blue background, with a vine wrapped tree to the left with a green fairy at its base and a copper mountain to her right. At the base of the mountain are small dragonflies, mushrooms, butterflies, and flowers. A circular yellow sun sits in the top left corner.

D’Lisa Fort Window Box Audio Description

Sher-ron Freeman
Born 1966, Oakland, California
Practiced at Creative Growth since 1988

ARTIST STATEMENT
“I started drawing flowers at home before I came to Creative Growth. I was inspired by the flowers I saw while walking outside. 


Art makes me happy—it’s something I’ve always loved to do. I like to use colorful Posca and Sharpie markers to draw and paint. I enjoy working on different surfaces like textiles, wood, and ceramics. I also like to sew and add things like buttons, beads, and puff balls to clothing. 


One of my favorite things is making jewelry with my friend Ruthie. We have fun creating pieces together.”


In my artwork, I use layers of dark and bright colors because they make me feel good. I like drawing and painting people, animals, trees, and shapes like dots.


I want to keep making big paintings, and in the future, I want to create another mural. When people look at my art, I hope it makes them feel happy—just like I feel when I make it.”


Sher-ron Freeman's Window Box

Born 1936, Berkeley, California
Practiced at Creative Growth since 2006


ARTIST STATEMENT


“I make it! The pieces are mine. Drawings, paintings and prints. Bowls in ceramics. Thread to make the clothes. I like the color blue, circle shapes.”


Ruth Stafford's Window Box

Nathaniel curates an open wooden box to the right of the gallery entrance. The open side faces the street. The box is 8 feet tall, about 5 and a half feet wide, and 2 feet deep. The entire inside of the box is painted solid midnight blue.

A large, flat wooden sculpture painted a hot pink hangs against a midnight-blue background, almost filling the back wall. Measuring over 7 feet high and 4 feet wide, the sculpture depicts two monsters, Godzilla and Kong, entangled in a battle. The hot pink appears opaque in some areas, faint in others, and the sculpture’s edges are painted shades of blues and greens. The beasts’ teeth, scales, and body parts are defined by thin, black lines. To its left, a burnt sienna dinosaur with a long tail also hangs on the wall and is about three feet tall and one and a half foot wide. On the right side, a climbing green Godzilla, inspired by the movie “Crazy Rich Asians.” Painted a bright lime green, its haunches are orange, its body a muddy purple, with outlines and zig-zags of fluorescent yellow, blue, red, and pale orange.

Three small wooden dinosaurs decorate each inner wall. Hanging on the left-hand wall is the flat wooden sculpture of a “Monarch” monster resting. The right half of this figure is painted a bright blue, with lighter blue details and outlines; the left half is gray, with details in that same pale blue and olive green, and edged in silver. Right below it, an animated chestnut brown dinosaur in the middle of the left wall, with outlines and squiggly details of many bright colors, mostly greens, yellow, pinks, and blues. 

On the floor of the window box sits a low, white wooden box, about 4 feet wide, 18 inches deep, and 16 inches high. Twenty-two ceramic monsters sit on this table, ranging in size and shape and color, from the hand-sized “Jurassic Pretzel,” glazed a dark green, to the larger “Dallasaurus,” standing about 7 by 7 inches and glazed a pale periwinkle blue, to “Godzilla 98,” a blue-glazed figure with a palm-sized body, three short limbs and one very long one. The other monsters are glazed mostly monochromatically in various shades of brown, green, and blue. 


Description of Window Box by Nathaniel Jackson

Dan curates an open wooden box to the left of the gallery entrance. The open side faces the street. The box is 8 feet tall, about 5 and a half feet wide, and 2 feet deep. 

A collection of vibrantly colored ceramic pieces stand boldly against the box’s solid black background. Hanging on the walls are several round plates and oblong platters, ranging from 8 to 20 inches in diameter, most of which are glazed monochromatically: yellows, greens, blues, including one large oblong platter that is green, edged in orange and blue.

Sitting at the base of this display are two 
white boxes. Starting on the left, a bust with brown skin, long black hair, red lips forming a gentle smile, and bright white eyes with black pupils. In the same box resting in front of the bust, a brown and olive green loaf are angled toward each other. On top of the box sit two birds about 14 inches long. From left to right, an all brown bird with wings extending in the back, and a duck with a deep blue body, yellow wings, green tail, and orange head. 

Resting on the floor of the window box, near the mid center, another bust, lemon-yellow skin, long black hair, black eyebrows, a bold red mouth, green eyes with white pupils. In front of it, a green sphere about six inches in diameter and an airplane glazed yellow, with windows and other details in green, blue, brown, and black. The tail and sides of the plane are emblazoned with “TWA” in white.

On the right side of the floor, a white wooden box about two and a half feet wide, 18 inches tall, and 18 inches deep, sits a tan-glazed, bald head with prominent ears and a serious expression. To its left, a yellow bird with pink wings at an angle. To the right, an oblong chamomile yellow loaf about 14 inches long and 5 inches wide, with brown oblong shapes, sits on a green platter decorated with round shapes in teal and pale green.

In front of the white wooden box on the ground, a green cylinder about 14 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter featuring large lemon-yellow balloons outlined in black with strings. 

To the right, another cylinder glazed yellow, decorated with a brown and white bird, several stars and abstract shapes in red, black, blue, and orange. Extending from the cylinder, and while coned-shaped top.


Ruth Stafford's Window Box

Creative Growth Art Center

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