Park Open Studio: Dioramas with Traci Johnson

Led by a local teaching artist, this drop-in class invites participants to explore creativity through hands-on artmaking under the shade of Scrabble Plaza’s trees. Past mediums have included plein-air drawing, printmaking, cyanotypes, and more. All materials are provided by WSPC.

About the Workshop

This interactive workshop guides participants through creating miniature dioramas that represent their personal concept of a safe space. The session begins with community-building activities and explores what elements make spaces feel secure and welcoming. Participants brainstorm their vision, then spend hands-on time constructing their dioramas using provided materials. The workshop emphasizes individual creativity and self-expression while teaching basic construction techniques. Sessions conclude with optional sharing time and group reflection on the creative process and insights gained. Designed to be flexible and adaptable to participant interests, this workshop combines art therapy principles with practical crafting skills to promote emotional well-being and self-discovery through creative expression.

About the Artist

Born in NYC in 1998, Traci Johnson is an emerging textile artist whose tufted and hooked tapestries explore spirituality, sexuality, and identity. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (BFA), Johnson transforms the language of sanctuary shaped by their religious upbringing into spaces of queer liberation and embodied healing. Their practice emphasizes construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction as pathways to selfhood. Johnson’s symbolic, narrative-rich works invite viewers into their own processes of clarity, discovery, and rebirth.