Alice Thompson holds a B.F.A. from Binghamton University (2004) and an M.F.A. from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (2006) with concentrations in drawing and printmaking. She has shown her work in numerous juried shows, including exhibitions at The UNO Art Gallery (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Moore College of Art, Little Berlin, Fleisher Art Memorial, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, The Plastic Club, and InLiquid. Thompson is currently a member artist at Second State Press, and was awarded a Key Holder (Fob) Fellowship in Spring 2016. She was the Fall 2018 artist-in-residence at the Tacony LAB where she taught kite and cut paper workshops for all ages. In Spring 2019, she participated in the Apprentice training program at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. In addition to making visual art, she manages the administrative office of Orchestra2 001, a nonprofit that promotes and performs contemporary music.

Visit me during AiO, and you might find yourself flying a kite! I intend to make a large number of small kites using paper, bamboo, and a variety of recycled materials such as bubble wrap. The design of the kites will be influenced by my surroundings along the Schuylkill River, incorporating beautiful sumi ink wash drawings and cut paper techniques. Visitors will be able to watch me making the kites, and if the conditions are safe (no rain or traffic), I will invite them to try flying a kite, and encourage them to write about their experience. For some, it may be the first time they've flown a kite, and for others it could revive memories? My artistic training focused on drawing, printmaking, and installation art, but I gravitated toward making and flying kites as a mindful activity. When people fly kites, they are essentially doing the opposite of looking down at a computer screen. When their kite is catching the wind, they are looking up, focusing into the far distance, and feeling and reacting to each change in tension in the kite string. I hope some people will find peace and relaxation by flying a kite along the Schuylkill River Banks. 
I have instructed children and adults in kite making and flying, through workshops for Abington Friends School, The Philadelphia School (TPS), Second State Press, The Tacony LAB Community Arts Center, InLiquid, and Capital One. I am familiar with traditional kite designs that are easy to fly in variable winds at small urban parks, and I can experiment with improvised designs as well. The use-worn kites, accompanied by the written reflections of the visitors that flew them, could make an interesting contribution to the AiO exhibition following the 3-day outdoor event.  

Find my kite kits, screen printed kites, and other art in my Etsy 

Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KiteCuriosities 

Learn more about my work at http://www.alicethompsonart.com/