Family First: Expression & Identity - Wear Your Story

In this creative workshop, participants will design and create their own wearable jewelry pieces or custom tote bags inspired by Mario Moore's In Pursuit of Home. This hands-on experience invites participants to explore how identity, memory, and personal style shape the spaces and stories we call our own through wearable art.

Participants will learn basic sewing techniques, alongside gluing and painting, to design accessories that reflect their individuality and lived experiences. Using provided totes, jewelry bases, pins, beads, buttons, fabrics, paints, and a wide range of embellishments, each participant will create a one-of-a-kind piece rooted in self-expression and personal style.

Don't miss this opportunity to create wearable jewelry or a tote bag that is as meaningful as it is stylish.

Family First is presented by Novant Health

Michelle "Bunny" Gregory, is an artist from Charlotte, NC. Armed with a fashion illustration degree from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Gregory flourished as the head of design at Creatrix for eight years. Her achievements include the QC Family Tree - Culture Bearers Residency (2022), being named one of Charlotte is Creative's "2022 Creatives to Watch," and receiving the Charlotte is Creative HUG Grant in 2021. Bunny's artistic journey transcends borders, with a prestigious Artist in Residency in Berlin, Germany, and current representation as a Pallet Table Artist with 9189 Studio Gallery at VAPA.

Passionate about providing spaces for black artists, she opened the iconic UNDERGROUND venue in 2014, earning the title "Queen Mother of Charlotte's Underground Hip Hop" in 2017. Currently, her UNDERGROUND Mobile Art Studio and Gallery foster creativity among underserved youth. Gregory’s mixed-media studio work, heavily influenced by Afrocentric culture, tackles racial and economic disparity, engaging audiences with its compelling narrative. Co-founder of Mural Ninjas, her captivating public art commissions add vibrancy to Charlotte's landscape.

Find inspiration in her artistry on Instagram @ug_battleofhearts.