The Back Story
Eight years ago, Rachel and Henry Cross lost their home and most of their stuff to a devastating house fire. That experience, profoundly changed Rachel’s relationship with material things. After the fire, she could hardly stand to be in a store where everything was new. The only place where she felt comfortable shopping was in a thrift store. The clothes, art, books, and other treasures she encountered at the thrift store helped to inform and inspire her artwork, her music, and ultimately helped to heal her spirit. However, the people and culture of these stores fascinated her too. She would encounter mostly women. Women from all over the world and every walk of life. There were immigrants, art students, bargain hunters, senior citizens, teen moms, drag queens, the poor, the wealthy, and everybody in between. The one thing they shared was an understanding that this was a place to find treasures, bargains, and materials for the everyday and the special occasion.
From ancient times, the market place has been a woman’s space. It could even be viewed as a sacred space where ancient and modern Goddesses meet to transform and beautify the world around them. These ideas and experiences are the inspiration for this show.
http://www.atlasarts.org/event/rachel-ann-cross/