Aliana Grace Bailey

A Communal Art Practice

Founded in 2023, Soft Gather™ is a series of trauma-informed healing installations utilizing fiber arts and color therapy. These traveling spaces invite Black women, gender-expansive people and communities to gather, reflect, rest, and nurture relationships through intentional design that honors mind, body, and spirit. Each installation lives in community spaces for extended periods, adapting to the community’s needs. Through weaving, crochet, rug tufting, sewing, screen printing, upholstery, and surface pattern design, these spaces come to life. From Black Maternal Health Week at The Bloom Collective to future installations in schools and therapy suites, Soft Gather creates accessible sanctuaries for community healing.

Spring 2024: The Bloom Collective

The Bloom Collective provides holistic care along the preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum journey. This Soft Gather space is inspired by being held, circular process of life, connection to the land, the earth’s nourishment, and honoring of the grand midwives. This is Soft Gather’s first iteration.

Installed during Black Maternal Health Week 2024, Soft Gather is an accessible healing space open to the Bloom community. Through the colors and textures, it is a restful, beautiful experience that aligns with how they want their community to feel—light and at peace. People gather, and build community through conversation, rest, play, and release. Soft Gather provides the space for them to do these things in a new, comfortable, and inspiring way.

Special thank you to the Rubys Artist Grants, Neighborhood Fiber Company, and Tuft the World.