It’s Summer 2024 and we’re with Olympian Grace Latz just prior to her travels to Paris for the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Olympics. Hear about this amazing program, how Grace was chosen to participate and what she eventually creates for it. She talks about the team that helped her produce it and how it all came together. Or course she talks about how she learned to sew and who influenced her. As a bonus, learn what it’s like to be an athlete in the Olympics!
Grace, who was on America’s 2016 Olympic Team placing 5th in the quadruple sculls. A much-decorated rower, she was on 4 national teams, a 2015 World Rowing Champion and walked on the team at the University of Wisconsin, Madison to eventually help the team win their first Big 10 Championship in Women’s rowing.
She will be in a different role this year as one of four Olympians selected for the Paris 2024 Olympian Artist-in-Residence Program to implement collaborative and community-based art. Through reassembling donated uniforms and equipment from Olympic sports through a local recycling center, she created a large-scale tapestry of the Olympic rings with the support of senior Parisian citizens in the lead up to the 2024 Olympics. The piece will be on display during the Paris 2024 Games at Clubhouse 24 and will subsequently become part of the collection of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
(2:45) Grace tells how all this happened from her initially learning to sew and the strength of the women in her family.
(4:27) Grace isn’t a traditional quilter, she challenges the rules to develop her creations. She talks about this here.
(6:49) “Traditional processes with non-traditional materials with surprising results”> What does this mean to her? She also talks about a project she created in college made from plastic bags.
(9:30) Grace’s work is “collaborative and made with many hands” She tells us what that means in regard to who owns a piece of art. Does it have to be made by one person to be a quality craft?!
(11:49) What’s it like to be an Olympic athlete? Grace shares her story with us. And how did she find this sport? Well, this story is remarkable! Let’s just say, it’s good to be tall.
((16:27) Grace is one of 4 Olympians chosen to be in the Olympian Artist-in-Residence Program. She explains the program and how it began. Then, she tells us about how she came up with the idea of her special project.
(21:24) It was very important to the IOC that she work with local materials and local citizens. Hear why she chose to work with senior citizens and how she got the materials for her project. And she shares her experience of walking the same streets or Picasso, Van Gough and Renoir…and riding the metro with a huge quilt!
(30:00) Hear about how she created her quilt…and why she made the choices she made!
(31:42) Will any of the women who helped with the project will be able to travel to the Olympics to view the quilt?
(33:14) In her role as a participant in the Olympian Artist-in-Residence Program, what will she be doing? Also, hear about how she and her team connected BERNINA and securing their support and sewing machines. The universe certainly interceded!
(39:32) While is college Grace received the University’s student in athlete community service award, and she now is Communications Lead at the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative. The environment is paramount to her. She shares with us why environmental activism is important to her.
(45:48) What’s next for Grace and what’s her dream?
(48:25) And finally, what didn’t I ask?!! Well, what pieces did she include in the project on her own that were personal to her? There were 4 special pieces…find out what they were! And hear about Olympians are viewed and learn a new way of relating to them!
(55:42) How can you reach out to Grace? On Instagram @gracelatz, and on her new website www.gracelatz.com.
If you know someone who has an outstanding story that should be shared on this podcast, drop Meg a note to Meg@sewandsopodcast.com or complete the form on our website.