Just Buffalo Reading Series, Silo City 2016.
Parachord, weatherproof spandex, string
This project was completely grass-roots funded in Buffalo, NY through the words "I Love You". Jaime Schmidt alone erected 150 feet of white weather-proof fabric that she hand-sewed specifically for this space. The white would bounce light into the space, it would dampen the 7 second reverb of this grain elevator, and it would add a soft element into this masculine and hard environment. These silos are being resurrected from previous industrial structures, becoming abandoned, to full of arts, music, and intentional regrowth. This installation piece was a reflection of the space itself, but it paralleled with meanings deep within Jaime's childhood. Experiencing many near death experiences with her father from a young age, Jaime has become committed to creating the feeling of vitality, resurrection, healing, and resilience through her work. Just before this piece, she had lost her childhood best friend to the opioid epidemic. During childhood, she had experienced dream work with this friend, where he had learned to lucid dream from a young age, and had carried this ability into adulthood. While mourning the loss of Chris, she had received many dreams involving him that had also deeply influenced this specific piece.
Parachord, weatherproof spandex, string
This project was completely grass-roots funded in Buffalo, NY through the words "I Love You". Jaime Schmidt alone erected 150 feet of white weather-proof fabric that she hand-sewed specifically for this space. The white would bounce light into the space, it would dampen the 7 second reverb of this grain elevator, and it would add a soft element into this masculine and hard environment. These silos are being resurrected from previous industrial structures, becoming abandoned, to full of arts, music, and intentional regrowth. This installation piece was a reflection of the space itself, but it paralleled with meanings deep within Jaime's childhood. Experiencing many near death experiences with her father from a young age, Jaime has become committed to creating the feeling of vitality, resurrection, healing, and resilience through her work. Just before this piece, she had lost her childhood best friend to the opioid epidemic. During childhood, she had experienced dream work with this friend, where he had learned to lucid dream from a young age, and had carried this ability into adulthood. While mourning the loss of Chris, she had received many dreams involving him that had also deeply influenced this specific piece.
Jaime created a grassroots campaign to build a large scale fabric installation (Breathing Space) inside of the Marine A grain elevator in Buffalo, NY. The intention was to provide a space for meditation and contemplation, symbolizing the rebirth of these long abandoned structures. This campaign included multiple artist who donated their prints to raise funds for this installation, as well as musicians who played music to raise funds, and local restaurants. Jaime used the phrase I Love You for more people to hear these words. Living in a city where seasonal depression, alcoholism, and opioid epidemic are present, they thought it was crucial for the words I Love You to be said more often, even if it is just in the peripheral.