Born
in Chicago, Illinois, she lives and works both there and in Mexico. In 2010
she received a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Fellowship in research in Mexico
for a coppersmithing project in Santa Clara del Cobre. Feder-Nadoff has
spent numerous visits with traditional coppersmiths of Santa Clara del Cobre,
Michoacán, Mexico for research and community organizing initiatives
on behalf of the nonprofit Cuentos Foundation, which she founded in 1998
with other artists and community activists. Her works take on numerous forms
including paper, metal, clay, wood, fiber and combining several in mixed
media works. Currently she has returned to Mexico to begin her doctoral
studies. More information on her work is available
on her website.
Passing
Passing,
a durational performance by artists Michele Feder-Nadoff and Kanaan Kanaan,
is part of a series of collaborative works begun in 2001 as a response to
on-going Middle East conflict and worldwide strife. Illuminated by their
personal experiences of diasporas based on their respective Jewish and Muslim
traditions, together they have created works that explore and symbolize
and desire to maintain hope through trust.
The 2011-2012 Hamersly Library exhibits theme is IDENTITY. The exhibits featured this year will explore the characteristics that determine who we are. Our individual experiences, the communities we live in, and our culture all play a significant role in establishing our identity.
In spring we are looking at cultural identity. Two international artists are exhibiting seperately and joining together for a performance piece to explore similarities and differences to open a dialogue among cultures.