Darby Raymond-Overstreet is a featured artist in the R.A.D. program by the outdoor blanket company Rumpl. As a part of the program she created a new blanket design for the company to feature on a selection of their outdoor products including a NanoLoft® Puffy Blanket, Stash Mat, and Shammy Travel Towel Set.
You can view Darby’s R.A.D. profile which features a full interview and a peak into Darby’s printmaking practice by clicking below:
Meet RAD Artist: Darby Raymond-Overstreet
Darby’s Statement about the collaboration and the design:
“A year ago, Rumpl reached out to me with an idea to design a blanket for them, because instead of creating something that was appropriated aka “Native inspired” they agree that brands should embrace Native artists if they want to incorporate Native designs into their products. For far too long it has been commonplace for brands to appropriate Native American/Indigenous art and culture to sell their idea of what Native American style and art should look like. They have chosen not to incorporate us in the design process, and they have chosen not to uplift our voices, and those choices have contributed to our invisibility to mainstream society. Thus I am so happy that I can contribute my art, my vision, and my voice to this collaboration with Rumpl. I hope that other brands take note and choose to work with Native artists when they feel compelled to incorporate Native designs in their products. Additionally, one of my favorite parts about this collaboration is that a portion of each sale of this blanket goes to First Peoples Fund, which is one of my favorite non-profits. Simply put, they give support to Indigenous artists and culture bearers through their various trainings, programmings, and fellowships in an effort to bring about positive change in Native communities. The design I made for Rumpl is named Sundown and I am very proud to share it. It is inspired by the many sunsets I have watched on drives through the reservation en route to my grandparents house and it incorporates the rich hues of reds, oranges and yellows as the last light of the sun illuminates the landscape with a warm glow.”