Emma + Lorraine are a mother and daughter from Narrowsburg, New York and the name of a social practice artwork.

I met Lorraine during my time as a fellow at Mildred’s Lane in the summer of 2015. Lorraine Bodens is a resident of Narrowsburg, New York who has been making hand-painted signs and painting throughout her life. 

Another Mildred’s Lane fellow that session, Roz Crews, befriended Lorraine on a walk through town and learned about her signs and her relationship with her mother, Emma, who also painted in a studio behind their house.

The fellows at Mildred’s Lane invited Lorraine to exhibit a selection of her signs in the gallery space run by Mildred’s Lane in town on Main Street. Lorraine attended the opening with her boyfriend and, although she had “never been to an art show before,” her show sold out on opening night. All art sales went directly to Lorraine.


An interview with Lorraine and Roz can be downloaded here.