"Consignment"

Created by: Carol Jacque and Judy Robertson
When: date
Where: venue

The basic idea of this installation is a variation of a women's and children's clothing consignment or resale shop. Rather than price tags on the items, tags or receipts would carry individual tales relating to the previous history of the item.

This could be in the form of prose or poetry--a moment, incident, attitude, or even tangent or free association seemingly unrelated to the particular item. Rather than being able to purchase an item with money these pieces of clothing can be 'bought' by signing the bottom of a receipt that has the item's story.

The inspiration is the gentrification, renovation and historical designation of Ybor City. The item enters into its new ownership while retaining something from its past; and the historical continuity of handing down/over something becomes more important than its value in the market or the ability to pay for it.

The stories will not have an image conscious (marketing) public face, but will be personal and individual, representing the diversity of a community which sometimes gets lost in the gentrification transition.

Perhaps there is a creative writing, English, or history class at the college that would like to collaborate on this as an assigned project. (Ideally reflective of the personal/cultural/ethnic history of the area.)

This piece could be set up as more or less elaborate. From two racks on the street corner, like a flea market, to a more elaborate "hoax" store, with signage, mirror, etc. One of the open storefronts in Ybor City could be fixed up as a temporary shop, perhaps by sectioning off a small, accessible area in the window front.

Will need: Donations of clothing in good condition--preferably with a story passed along written or verbal--two metal clothing racks, trunk, hangers, tags, signage, large receipts with carbon copies, mirror. If done inside a shop window will possibly need curtain, paint, foamcore board for signage, mirror, etc.