One of my favorite SXSW features is Knitta, Please, a now-large scale project begun by Magda Sayeg in her then-home of Houston. Everywhere she looked it was gray, and as a dedicated artist she wanted to infuse her environment with handmade color. She didn’t have paint. She had something better – yarn.
I first learned about the project at a commercial shown prior to a documentary screening at SXSW. My favorite line from Magda – “you don’t knit for hate. This is a goodness project.” And the world needs more goodness. In 2005, she started Knitta, Please, an organization dedicated to incorporating woven graffiti into urban environments. The work of the Knittas can now be found on 5 continents. The variety of pictures on her website’s gallery speak for themselves. Hop over there and take a look.
To earn more about Knitta, Please, check out their website and blog. How might your art help to bring more color to the world in a meaningful way?
I snapped the photo above in the green room at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW and posted it to my Tumblr photo blog. And yes, it did make me think about how many places in the world need more art.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
One of my favorite SXSW features is Knitta, Please, a now-large scale project begun by Magda Sayeg in her then-home of Houston. Everywhere she looked it was gray, and as a dedicated artist she wanted to infuse her environment with handmade color. She didn’t have paint. She had something better – yarn.
Christa Avampato 