In February and March 2019 we are working with Redux Contemporary Art Center to explore Gullah ancestry, genealogy and stories through art. Using the results from the archaeological and DNA analyses as a source of inspiration, participants will imagine ancestral spaces, cultures and stories. Free weekly workshops, facilitated by artists working with diverse media (Dontre Major, Arianne King Comer, Nic Jenkins and Quadre Stuckey pictured below), will be available to 50-60 students and adults.
In workshops with Peggie Hartwell, for example, students will interview a relative or community member to create artwork inspired by their conversations (such as Peggie's quilt, below). Using collected materials, students will create textile art, where the fabric of their lives is literally woven into the work that they create and will reflect their ancestry as much as their genetic history. Storytelling will serve as an audio backdrop in classes. Participants will actively create meaningful public art that they will present at the reinterment ceremony at the Gaillard Center on May 4th, 2019.