I Am Willing To Change
Alice Brown
Alice Brown They/Them
I Am Willing To Change
California and Laurel
Description: I am willing to change. Are you willing? Change comes to all of our lives - accepted or not. The capacity to change is proof that we are still alive. To willingly choose change is to also choose life. Being willing does not imply a pain-free process, but the choice to accept change provides relief, compared to the pain of resisting. This life-saving sentiment is expressed in a variety of locally spoken languages, on a white, blue and pink background of stripes, representing a lovingly hand-sewn transgender pride flag. Many languages sharing a common message reflects our diversity and our unity, as living people experiencing great internal and external changes. Can we accept our new discoveries? Do we allow ourselves to change our minds? We all have untapped potential within us, will we let it out? The sides of the box highlight two important transgender people living in Santa Cruz County, Sandy Stone and Adam Spickler.
Artist Bio: As soon as I was old enough to "run away" on the bus from San Jose, I dreamed of living in Santa Cruz. I got that chance when my mother kicked me out of the house, upon the occasion of my coming out as gay. Santa Cruz welcomed me with open arms! I found safe housing, good people and incredible artists. I became part of a co-op farm in the mountains, attended UCSC, joined the Art League and started getting involved. I now host a "Goals for Artists" group and teach collage and I also host gender inclusive monthly gatherings called the Gender Adventurers. We are celebrating our 13th year of monthly meetups, online and in person! We have thousands of members across dozens of countries, many of whom have no other outlet for their gender exploration. We have artistic events, support groups and field trips together.
All of my art involves assemblage, texture and intense use of color or line, instead of trying to make paint look photo-realistic.
Historical Context: Santa Cruz County has been a welcoming place for transgender people for many years.
Artist Sketch
