Above: DOEprojekts’ postcard and banner design, announcing our exhibition and workshop at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Harlem, New York City. Below: St. Mary’s Sanctuary with Ancestor Altar. DOEprojekts banner on the exterior of the church’s fence.
Above: Opening reception of “Constructing Community: Stories & Symbols of Resiliency.” Below: Panoramic photo of the installation.
In “Constructing Community: Stories & Symbols of Resiliency” exhibition in November and December at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Harlem, curated by DOEprojekts, artists display the work of resilient communities: 1.Keiskamma Art Project (South Africa); resilience in post-apartheid, 2.Pax Rwanda (Rwanda/USA) resilience in the aftermath of Rwandan Genocide, and 3.DOEprojekts (USA) resilience after the COVID-pandemic. Especially noteworthy in this exhibition are three new works that DOEprojekts purchased from the Keiskamma Art Project titled “Freedom, Equality, and Human Dignity.” Each of the hand-embroidered tapestries measure approximately 24” x 24.”
Above: Display of “Freedom, Equality, and Human Dignity,” with detail of “Human Dignity” below. The works are created in circular format. The circle is a “Coreform” in DOEprojekts’ art practice.
With our grant from The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ), we were able to partner with the St. Mary’s community, by exhibiting embroideries that opened up conversation about resiliency. What is resiliency, what does it look like in NYC, and is it important in 2024? How does it help us do more than “muddle through” in difficult times?
Above: Visitors to the exhibition enjoy both the art and the written stories and symbols that are displayed near the Keiskamma Art Project works as well as the Pax Rwanda embroidered maps on the wall above the table.
Above: DOEprojekts’ Jacquard fabric (used in several art projects during the COVID-19 pandemic) is displayed above the 150 year-old fireplace at St. Mary’s, forming a backdrop for a carved “zero and one” book sculpture. Mounted above is a collaborative work titled “Home” by DOEprojekts and Keiskamma Art Project.
Public Workshop
In conjunction with St. Mary’s Ancestor Altar Sunday, our “Artmaking with Ancestral Symbols” workshop was held on Sunday, Nov 10, 2024, in a pair of adjacent meeting rooms. Participants worked with paper, color pencils, and markers to sketch symbols that related to their ancestral heritages. Those symbols were then worked into collages or used to create cyanotype prints on specially treated paper or cloth.
Upon completion of their artworks, many workshop participants interpreted their ancestral or familial stories for the others in the group.
Workshop participants were pleased with their art stories and symbols, and many stated that they would be taking their works home to display them, and re-telling their ancestral stories to family and friends. DOEprojekts looks forward keeping in touch with St. Mary's Episcopal Church for future exhibitions and workshops.
