Tambourine
Item
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Title
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Tambourine
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Creator
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Carol Rashawnna Williams
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Description
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Large wooden sculpture of half a tambourine, inspirational words painted and adhered to the surface. Twelve metal symbols. Fabric additions on underside of arch.
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Category of Media
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wooden sculpture
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Accession Number
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2022.002
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Location
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CAB south stairwell
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Date Acquired
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2019
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Acquisition Method
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donation
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Dimensions of Work
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73.75" x 152.5" x 23"
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Condition Statement
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11/2022: Good condition. Minor issues follow.
Slight soiling overall. Moderate fraying of textile components. Occasional white chipping along outside arch. Peeling glue throughout.
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Artist Bio
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Born in Topeka, Kansas in a military family, Carol is the only child of Bessie Williams & Willie C. Williams. Soon after birth Carol and her family moved to Frankfurt Germany where she grew up on a military base and went to German schools until she was 11 ½. At which time she and her mother settled in Tacoma, WA. Carol graduated from Mount Tahoma High School, went to the Evergreen State College, was an Upward Bound student of 4 years.
Carol's mother was a certified missionary and gave her life to community service for over 25 years, feeding and sheltering those who were homeless. or re-entering society from prison. Carol's father was a patriot and believed in American Democracy. He gave 28 years of his life to his country through military service.
After graduating from college Carol was accepted as a Vista-Americorps for 1 year in Seattle’s White Center neighborhood working with young single mothers of Head Start students get jobs and get into school. Carol had her first group exhibit at the Seattle Central Community College Gallery in 1990 when she attended Seattle Central College, it was a community college. Her second group exhibit was in 1996 at the Evergreen State College at which time her work was acquired and catalogued into The Evergreen State College’s (TESC) video art library and showcased into the TESC student anthology book.
Carol is a mother to 2 children. She currently resides in Seattle, WA and works to mentor emerging artists from various backgrounds. Carol is a musician of 21 years who plays the violin and the viola. Carol enjoys hiking in the Pacific Northwest's numerous old growth forests. Carol was certified thru the City of Seattle Parks & Recreation Urban Forest Educator Program and loves to teach about conifers, indigenous and invasive species. You can find her walking all over Seattle.
Carol deeply believes in the power of art to build community.
Source: https://www.rashawnna-at-klove4art.com/vitae
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Abstract
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In the Pentecostal church tradition in which Carol Rashawnna Williams was raised, the tambourine has deep power and significance to women. Later in life, many pass their own tambourines on to their daughters. When Williams was given her mother’s tambourine in 2015, it inspired her to learn more about the history of the instrument.
A violin player, Williams assumed as a child that the tambourine was an equally respected instrument. As she grew older she began to notice that it was rarely taken seriously in formal settings, relegated instead to the role of “folk instrument.” She saw this a poignant metaphor, and set to work creating a piece around it: a large tambourine sculpture addressing black challenges, identity, and future vision. Williams’ sculpture is an encapsulation of the past and a message of hope for the future. At a time when black churches are closing across the nation, the sculpture draws on the lasting power of ritual to connect future generations with ones that have come before.
“The things that last forever are music and sound and art and ritual,” said Williams. “Ritual lasts through time, if people still believe in it.”
Source: https://www.evergreen.edu/magazine/post/an-instrument-of-change
