(The following text is an edited excerpt from a conversation conducted between Felicia Griffin and former NIAD art facilitator Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo. The interview, in its entirety, can be found in Issue 6 of New Life Quarterly, published by E.M. Wolfman Books)
What would you like us to know about you? Who is Felicia Griffin?
Um, well, I like to come here and have fun and I love my friends and I want to do some more pompoms and I like doing my art.
What are you working on right now?
A pompom. I made two pillows and put pompoms on the pillows.
Why do you like to make art that involves circles? I see that’s a repeated shape in your pompoms, prints, and paintings — where does that circle shape come from?
The circle is inside of me, a square too. I see it in the world too.
You engage with a lot of people while you work at NIAD — how does that relate to your art making?
Yep, I like doing it and um, I like to help out. It makes me feel happy! I started doing this: giving gifts. I go to the cabinet and get pencils and sticks and then I store them in my bag. Well, so at first, I take some things from people or from the cabinet and then, well I just give them away. I am always looking out for who needs help.
Do you consider the Art Center your family?
YEEEAAAAS! Uh, all my friends are here. I care for people here — yes!
// Felicia’s available work //
exhibition history
Untangling Webs: A Journey In Abstract Textiles, organized by Alexander Hernandez // NIAD Online Exhibition // July 2023
Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD // Oakland Museum of California // May 2023
Animal, Animal, Vegetable, Vegetable, Mineral, Mineral organized by Nick Schutzenhofer // NIAD Online Exhibition // March 2023
Art of the African Diaspora 2023 Satellite Exhibition // Warehouse 416, Oakland // February 2023
Rainbow Cat Picnic organized by Cynthia Ona Innis // NIAD Online Exhibition // March 2023
Search Engine organized by Diego Leclery // NIAD Online Exhibition // January 2023
Art of the African Diaspora 2023 by Richmond Art center// January – March 2023
Making in Color organized by Edwige Charlot // NIAD Online Exhibition // November 2022
A Stick In The Snow organized by Joanna and Milo Moyer-Battick // NIAD Online Exhibition // October 2022
Feeling Language, organized by Kate Laster // NIAD Gallery Exhibition // October 2022
Follow the String, organized by Emma Spertus, Julio Rodriguez, Felicia Griffin, Dorian Reid, and Kiesha White // MarinMOCA, Novato, CA // October 2022
Day Or Night It Looks Like Night, organized by Liliana Herrera // NIAD Gallery Exhibition // September 2022
Told Through A Line, organized by Risa Lenore // NIAD Online Exhibition // September 2022
Question Mark, organized by Betsy Odom // NIAD Online Exhibition // August 2022
Face In the Crowd, organized by René Smith // NIAD Online Exhibition // August 2022
A Little Bit of Everything: Fashion & Fiber at NIAD // NIAD Gallery Exhibition // July 2022
Touching, organized by Zachary Epcar // NIAD Online Exhibition // July 2022
A New Geometry, organized by e bond // NIAD Online Exhibition // July 2022
Summer Break, organized by Matthew Goldberg // NIAD Online Exhibition // June 2022
Saves Nine, organized by Megan Kiskaddon // NIAD Online Exhibition // May 2022
Day or Night it Looks Like Night, curated by Liliana Herrera // NIAD Online Exhibition // February 2022
WIN WIN 10 Silent Auction Preview Exhibition // NIAD Gallery Exhibition // February 2022
Murmuration, organized by Alisa Golden // NIAD Online Exhibition // January 2022
Future History: The Katz Legacy // Christie’s Auction House, San Francisco // December 2021
Holiday Gift Guide #5, organized by Dawline-Jane Oni-Eseleh // NIAD Online Exhibition // December 2021
Interconnected, curated by Jackie Clay and Jillian Crochet // Southern Exposure Gallery, San Francisco // October 2021
I See What You’re Feeling, curated by Daniel Krakauer // NIAD Online Exhibition // September 2021
MiNi Mural Festival // SFMOMA Koret Education Center // August 2021 – January 2022
Yielding, curated by Ann Marguerite Tartsinis // NIAD Online Exhibition // August 2021
20 Continuous Lines, curated by Veronica De Jesus // NIAD Online Exhibition // August 2021
Every Sing, curated by Jesse Malmed // NIAD Online Exhibition // July 2021
Costume Store, curated by Ari Banias // NIAD Online Exhibition // March 2021
Artist of the Month Series: We Are Creating Our History, curated by Deatra Colbert, Felicia Griffin and Dorrie Reid // NIAD Online Exhibition // February 2021
Be Heard. Speak Up., curated by Fenwick & West // NIAD Online Exhibition // October 2020
Cradle, Bump, Tap, Slap, Push, curated by Brittney Leeanne Williams // NIAD Online Exhibition // September 2020
Let’s Do The Time Warp Again, curated by Boyang Hou // NIAD Online Exhibition // September 2020
It’s Time For Joy, curated by Julie Mallis // NIAD Online Exhibition // August 2020
Travel In Place – Pathways And Portals, curated by Lena Gustafson // NIAD Online Exhibition // July 2020
Nowhere Anywhere But Here, curated by Scott MacLeod // NIAD Online Exhibition // April 2020
Love is Here to Stay, curated by Nancy Lim // NIAD Online Exhibition // March 2020
RE:imagining DIS:place, curated by Michelle N. Jones // NIAD Online Exhibition // March 2020
Everything You See is Me, curated by Kristy Luck // NIAD Online Exhibition // February 2020
Waving from the Future, curated by Liz Koury // NIAD Online Exhibition // November 2019
Force Fields and Atmospheres, curated by Matthew Pawlowsi // NIAD Online Exhibition // October 2019
Detournement: A Coherent Vision, curated by Greg Roberts // NIAD Online Exhibition // October 2019
Fiberful // organized By Cynthia Ona Innis NIAD Art Center 2019
Have/Hold // organized by Julia Schwartz NIAD Art Center 2019
Butterfly, Sugar // organized by Bonanza NIAD Art Center 2019
Business Casual // organized By Maria Guzman Capron and Nan Collymore NIAD Art Center May 2019
Forests And Clearings // organized By Wayne Smith NIAD Art Center April 2019
Disability Changemakers // (traveling exhibition) San Mateo, San Francisco and San Jose County public libraries beginning March 2019
Where They Want To Go // organized by Erin McCluskey Wheeler NIAD Art Center January 2019
Prints: An Overview NIAD Art Center 2018
Give A Little Take A Little: Real Time & Space at NIAD // organized By Lexa Walsh NIAD Art Center 2018
Cyrano // organized By Em Kettner NIAD Art Center 2018
Can Did // organized By Julio Rodriguez NIAD Art Center 2018
Indeterminate Space // organized by Anthony Piñata NIAD Art Center 2018
All Of The Light // organized by Gina Borg NIAD Art Center 2017
Hanging On a Thread: Fiber Art From NIAD Art Center // Contra Costa County McBrien Administrative Building Martinez 2017
Affinity // organized by Tim Buckwalter Museum of Northern California Art Chico 2017
Felicia Griffin x Lisa Hammond // NIAD Art Center 2017
The Fourth Dimension, organized by Marja Galpin van der Loo // NIAD Art Center 2017
Long Term Exhibition // organized by Katie Johnson Rep Nancy Skinner’s Office Suite Oakland 2017
Spring/ Summer Exhibition // organized by Arianne Gelardin PARLOR San Francisco 2017
Shapeshifting Superheavies // organized by Jessica Snow NIAD Art Center 2017
Igneous Intrusions // organized by Jon Shibata NIAD Art Center 2017
Mayor Tom Butt Selects The Art Of NIAD// Richmond Mayor’s Suite Richmond 2017
Souls And Scenarios // organized by Gina Borg NIAD Art Center 2016
Felicia Griffin + Susan Wise // organized by Katie Johnson Yali’s Café Stanley Hall Berkeley 2016
Curious Weave // organized by Ramekon O’Arwisters NIAD Art Center 2016
Pillow Fight! // NIAD Art Center 2016
Abstract Preferences // organized by Anthony Pinata NIAD Art Center 2016
Mayor Tom Butt Selects The Art Of NIAD// Richmond Mayor’s Suite Richmond 2016
Adventure! // organized by Scott MacLeod NIAD Art Center 2015
Absence of Deliberate Silence // organized by Lacey Haslam NIAD Art Center 2015
Telling It Slant // organized by Courtney Eldridge Richmond Art Center 2015
The Wild Ones // Women’s Cancer Resource Center Oakland 2014
Ebony + Ivory // organized by Katie Johnson NIAD Art Center 2014
Where Have All The People Gone? // organized by Amy Miller Village Theatre Art Gallery, Danville 2013
Undercover Geniuses //organized by Jan Moore Petaluma Art Center 2013
Diamond Dogs Pet Supply Pop-Up Shop // NIAD Art Center 2013
Championship Vinyl // NIAD Art Center 2013
A Light That Never Goes Out: Continuing Traditions In Abstraction // NIAD Art Center 2013
Yes To The Dress Pop-Up Shop // organized by Peter Gravener NIAD Art Center 2013