Gift for a Gardener, 2019, 3,000 Handwoven Charleston Palmetto Roses, 44 x 84 in.

The rose is both a vibrant wildflower and an intricate craft in the Lowcountry. For the 19th century African American women, it was a tool for beautifying the yard. It was uprooted from surrounding woodlands and replanted to create elaborate gardens that acted as vibrant buffers from the outside world. The rose was an entrepreneurial tool for 20th-century women, commonly known as the Flower Ladies. It was transported from its rural home to Charleston's historic district and sold as a colorful decoration to locals and tourists. The enterprise was prohibited in the mid-20th century because selling tactics proved too aggressive for the gentile city. Its removal led to the ascension of a new form of the wildflower, the Charleston Palmetto Rose.

The Charleston Palmetto Rose has become a dominant motif in my work. I use it to chronicle a history of African American tradition and elevate the work of local artisans. Gift for a Gardener is not only an illustration of the Lowcountry landscape and intricate weaving; it is the unfolding of traditional craft into the local artistic discourse. Within this discourse, an area predicated on preserving ideas and practices, the Palmetto Rose reclaims its status as an unregulated cultural asset. Gift For A Gardener is a ceremonial totem that pays homage to horticultural expertise, entrepreneurship, and vernacular craft.