About
Project Timeline
A living installation shaped through civic care, community-centered practice, and ongoing public participation.
May 18, 2025 — Day 0 — Initial Activation
A one-day community gathering invited participants to tie repurposed fabric strips onto a temporary fence in Asheville’s River Arts District.
This activation introduced the creative gesture that would later underpin The Ties That Bind Asheville.
Authorship Context:
While this gathering established the initial gesture, the long-term installation and its multi-site development were conceptualized, structured, and carried forward independently by artist and researcher Emily Clanton.
May 29, 2025 — Day 1 — Beginning of Artist-Led Installation
Clanton returned to the site to continue the work as a sustained, public-facing installation.
This moment marked the transition from a single-event activity to an artist-led project with a defined methodology and long-range arc.
June – July 2025
Visitors continued tying fabric strips and offering written reflections.
The installation grew through steady, cumulative engagement, developing its layered communal form.
Summer 2025 — Modular & Off-Site Expansion
Clanton introduced modular forms and guided activities in additional community settings.
These activations extended participation while maintaining visual and symbolic continuity with the primary site.
August 8–9, 2025 — Local Cloth & Environmental Summit Activations
Modular versions of the project were presented at Local Cloth and Warren Wilson College’s Environmental Summit, held alongside the release of a regional recovery research publication.
Materials generated through these activations were later reintegrated into the riverside installation.
September 2025 — Additional Community Activations
Further activations at Local Cloth and Allon Health & Wellness offered additional entry points for reflection and participation.
Fabric contributed at these sites was returned to the primary installation to sustain cohesion across all locations.
Fall 2025 – Closing Phase
Portions of the installation were gently deinstalled, with selected materials set aside for a secondary artwork.
Much of the original structure remained under community stewardship, continuing as a quiet locus of reflection.
November 7, 2025 — Day 163 (Conclusion of Artist-Led Phase)
The artist-led phase of The Ties That Bind Asheville concluded.
A community-facing sign now marks its completion and its ongoing stewardship.
The installation remains at the riverside site as a record of collective participation and civic care.