As Part of the Far South Border North Grant Katie Ruiz, The founder of the Pompom Project engaged the community throughout the city of San Diego in Craft making- Pompom workshops.

Ruiz's ongoing Pompom Project engages diverse communities in a collaborative creative process. The experience of coming together to create with one's hands and working towards a shared goal promotes investment and pride in community and shared spaces. Through the communal act of making, strangers come together to work for a common goal resulting in relationship building and community care. 

Hundreds of participants produced over 1000 pompoms during 8 public workshops over the last four months. The free workshops offered lessons on "Craftivism" a term coined by Betsy Greer in 2003 which refers to craft and activism coming together through art. The Pompoms have been installed in two locations; Sew Loka, a textile store in Logan Heights that focuses on slow fashion and community building, and Villa Merced, senior community room, a branch of Casa Familiar. 

Sew Loka comprises partners Claudia Biezunski Rodriguez and Manny Biezunski, both of whom are artist. Claudia makes one of one clothing items from recycled and reclaimed materials. Manny is a videographer and marketing person who created a documentary of the pompom project FBSN grant process. The reveal of the public facing art installation and the documentary will be on view at the reception on May 25, 2024 from 12-6pm. 

During the reception you are invited to view the new Pompom installation, watch the documentary of the process, make your own pompom, and view one of a kind Sew Loka fashions.