https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/1710306747-8231361606eeb0af1fc3c3f18f6b58e58e0f8eee4f091104e16e6688ba3c22ee-d

Alice Aida Ayers - Experience Art That Transcends Boundaries

Discover the power of creativity through diverse mediums and perspectives, including the rich expression found in black art quilt designs.

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About Alice Aida Ayers

Smiling woman with red glasses and dreadlocks styled upward.

Artist Bio

Alice Aida Ayers In a career spanning more than three decades, Aida has established herself as an accomplished artist, art educator, and advocate for cultural exchange. Holding a Bachelor of Art and a Master’s in Art Education, Ayers has exhibited her work across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa. Her passion for both teaching and artistic practice has taken her around the world, where she has served as a resident artist, adjunct professor, and consultant. Since 1989, Ayers has dedicated herself to arts education, conducting residencies in over 300 schools, colleges, community centers, and libraries. Over the past six years, her work has focused on incarcerated individuals and women in recovery or re-entry programs. Through art therapy and creative visualization, she guides participants in accessing their creative source and discovering new perspectives. Ayers encourages her students to question presented information, examine their relationships and responses, and connect artistic expression to their lived experiences. Believing deeply in the power of art as a universal language, Ayers integrates diverse cultural perspectives into her teaching, fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. As an artist, Ayers focuses on black art quilt projects, creating textile-based collage quilts that combine ethnic, hand-dyed, and repurposed fabrics with found objects. Her work explores the tactile possibilities of texture, layering, and stitch, transforming everyday materials into richly dimensional narratives. An experienced project director and arts administrator, Ayers has designed and led arts education programs, art therapy initiatives, and restorative practice projects. Her leadership has extended to partnerships with government agencies and community organizations, where she has organized health fairs, art camps, mural projects, art festivals, and cultural exchange events.

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Two books by Alice Aida Ayers displayed in front of colorful textile art.

My Work

Artist Bio

My work revolves around the spirit that embodies African American art. Many years of living in and exploring the arts of African countries have profoundly influenced my perception of art. My relationships with materials, processes, and finished works are ritualistic and experiential. Secondhand, recyclable, and organic materials are my first choice for art supplies. Like many African cultures that believe in animism, I too believe that ‘spirit’ or ‘energy’ animates the material universe. Simply put, there is a vibrant life in black art that reaches out to us, pulls us in, and stirs our souls. With each piece I create, I embrace the energy of what the material once was, how it served humankind, and what it will now become. I invoke that spirit of celebration and fun by recalling dance movements, rhythms, drumbeats, and colors. Under these influences, I immerse myself in the creative process and rely on intuition to guide me. My current work focuses on textile art, which can be described as collage quilts. I use a combination of ethnic fabrics, recycled materials, repurposed fabrics, found objects, embroidery, and appliqué. The process involves layering fabric for the design, similar to a traditional quilt. Fabric is sewn with embroidery thread to attach the pieces onto a cloth surface. As an artist, I am drawn to the art of creating texture through layering, found objects, and stitching. I adore fabrics and textiles, especially those from Africa, and I incorporate these into the pieces I make. I am telling stories that are personal to me, such as my experiences in Africa. Quilting in the African American community is a significant influence in my work, and although these are not traditional quilts, there is a thread of storytelling through patterns, stitches, and subject matter, much like the quilts from the past.

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Artist Residencies

Since 1989, Ayers has dedicated herself to being a teaching artist, conducting residencies in more than 250 schools, colleges, community centers, and libraries. For the past six years, she has focused her work on incarcerated individuals and women in recovery/re-entry programs. Through art therapy and creative visualization, including the creation of black art quilts, Ayers helps her students tap into their creative source and explore their unique perspectives. Ayers believes in pushing her students to question the presented information, their relationships, and their responses, encouraging them to relate these impressions to their own world.

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Woman in traditional African attire clapping joyfully.

Performance

Artist Residencies

"It's Me I'm Running From" is a powerful performance inspired by the real-life journey of Alice Aida Ayers. Through her art, she shares some harrowing truths and life-changing experiences, weaving together elements of poetry, song, humor, and vivid imagery. This performance embraces the essence of black art, much like a quilt that stitches together stories of empowerment and perseverance. It is an honest sharing of love, creativity, and gratitude for life, designed to make you laugh, cry, shudder, and cheer, all while helping you discover your truth and create the narrative you want to tell.

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