Artist: Jodi Colella
Title: Once Was (Remembrance)
Attribution: Once Was (Remembrance), 2019, Jodi Colella, Acquired by Fuller Craft Museum
Year: 2019
Materials: 2-sided obelisk created with donated clothing, black velvet, black canvas, red embroidery yarn, earth magnets
Dimensions: 12 ft x 5 ft
Image Statement: Once Was is a memorial for all those lost to the opioid epidemic in the prime of their lives. This 12-foot, 2-sided tower is covered with 3,600 poppies that are stitched from donated clothing and then sewn onto a plush black velvet foundation. Each of the 3,600 poppies represents 200 individuals lost.