ARTIST BIO Charmel Lester Fabric Artist About the Artist A native of Shreveport, Charmel Lester is known for her custom wall hangings and crochet creations. Charmel is a proud graduate of Caddo Magnet High School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampton University. An avid traveler and arts enthusiast, Charmel has lived in several states and abroad, including Thailand. Her passion to create started nearly twenty years ago, while making cards and small gifts for her friends and family. When she saw the happiness on their faces, she realized that it was time to embrace her talents. Her work has been featured in local boutiques and markets throughout North Louisiana. Yarning for Hope In March of 2020, Charmel was led to launch the Yarning for Hope Project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Yarning for Hope, Charmel is working to boost the morale of the community-at-large by creating and installing original works of fabric art in public spaces. The S.K.E.O. Project In April of this year, Charmel was inspired to create a fabric mural to increase awareness about the gun violence and crime affecting the urban core of her hometown. To do so, she partnered with Caddo Parish Commissioner Stormy Gage Watts. The mural is the first of a series of community-based art installations in the artist's new community-based art initiative, The S.K.E.O. Project. The acronym stands for Stop Killing Each Other. To create the fabric mural, Charmel engaged fabric artists from across the South, and she plans to collaborate with on a greater scale moving forward. Contact the Artist Charmel is available for artist talks, workshops and Artist - in - Residence opportunities. For more information, please contact the artist directly at crochetcharmel@gmail.com.