Today we’d like to introduce you to FranCine Gadsden.
FranCine, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY third youngest of 14 children. I grew up during the early 60’s so I was part of the first integration (aka busing) from an all-Black neighborhood to a Jewish neighbor for schooling. This is where at the age of 10 I was introduced to sewing and after making an apron and came home from school and my mother was wearing the apron I knew I want to make clothes( did not know it was called designing)
I attended the International School of Design in NY and majored in Children’s Apparel and after graduating, I was given the opportunity to work with several top designers. After working with top designers in NY, I relocated to Oakland, CA and began my own fashion line FranCine’s Fashions 4 Children. My work appeared in Essence and television shows and commercials before I became ill and could no longer work.
Over the years, I worked for real estate investors before going back to my first love after seeing our society go from simple teasing to full blown bullying so I developed Sticks and Stones Tees & More a collection of wearable words and thought-provoking images.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Sticks and Stones Tees & More is a collection of wearable words and thought-provoking images combating negative and embracing positive where the wearer and viewer are both encouraged.
One of my signature pieces is titled Afro Puff Gurl – society has a way of making girls/women with curly hair wish they had straight hair so the images reflects a hairstyle the girls/woman with curly or textured can feel proud of their hair.
Another design is titled No Hair No Care for women that decided to shave their hair or those that lost their hair from chemo, alopecia or menopause. The pearls around the neck of the woman in the image are placed high to her chin allowing her to hold her head up high no matter why she does not have hair.
All of Sticks and Stones thought-provoking images and wearable words are known to inspire the wearer because it relates to them and how they feel and the viewer by seeing the image or verbiage are just as inspired.
My collection transcend generations I have the child, parent and/or grandparent loving the messages or images.
I experienced a woman whose daughter that has A.D.D. wore her Afro Puff Gurl tee to school and told her mom that everyone was giving her high fives and fist pumps and now she is proud to wear her hair in two puffs.
The name Sticks and Stones comes from the saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never harm me.” We all know that names harm; this is why I am using my art to change the mindset of the negative thinker or speaker.
How can artists connect with other artists?
There are so many groups on Facebook Groups that any artist can find a group of like kind. I encourage artists to go to local art events and make it a goal to meet at least one other artist and before long, they can have a village.
I recently did an event with Oakland Art Library and I was the only one with wearable art but I still fellowship and made relationships with several of the artist there.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Website: https://sticksandstonest4u.com
Instagram: @sticksandstonest4u
Facebook: sticksandstonest4u
I also vend at events/festivals from West to East Coast and January 2020 I will vend at my first wholesale show Urban Handmade Art in Seattle Washington. I currently sell to a boutique in Oakland, CA
Contact Info:
- Address: 4400 Keller Avenue, Oakland, CA 94605
- Website: https://sticksandstonest4u.com
- Phone: 510.860.2449
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: sticksandstonest4u
- Facebook: sticksandstonest4u
- Twitter: SandSt4u
Image Credit:
Bio photo by @edjayphotography
makeup by @ahlaya_reed_artistry
Afro Puff Gurl Brooch and Ring by @chiomascharm
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