These insider talks also complement the New-York Historical Society's February installation at Macy's on 34th Street during Black History Month. This set of virtual tours allows history buffs, New York enthusiasts, students, teachers, museum educators and the general public to dial an 800 number that turns ordinary cell phones into history guides.
Legacies: Contemporary Artists Reflect on Slavery, which was on view from June 2006 to January 2007, brought together the works of a generation of critically acclaimed contemporary artists in a remarkable ensemble of innovative art and historical reflection. The exhibition formed a prelude to the current exhibition New York Divided: Slavery and the Civil War.
Algernon Miller is an acclaimed artist and urban designer currently working on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Circle plaza in Harlem. Currently under construction, the history landscape, which includes seating and a fountain, will have a grand opening later this year. In his interview, he discusses the inspirations and concept for this project.
Ellen Driscoll is a professor of sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design who has produced several notable public art installations that mix history with a complex and evocative use of light, motion, and architectural space. In her interview, she discusses how her early exposure to activism motivated her to learn more about racism's historical origins.
Lorenzo Pace's body of work includes sculpture, installation, and performance art that finds inspiration from the eclecticism of found objects, heirlooms, photographs, and natural materials like wood, textile, metal, and granite. In his interview, he discusses his mission to educate future generations about their heritage through his various artistic endeavors.
Hidden Sites of Slavery offers a glimpse of the important people, places, and events in the history of slavery and freedom in New York. The next walking tour follows the story of Frederick Douglass and the Underground Railroad. The tours debuted in September 2006 with the stories of Pierre Toussaint, a prosperous Haitian immigrant who was an important bulwark of his fellow immigrants, and includes visits to St. Patrick's Cathedral and St. Peter's Church. Another tour features the African Free School #2, one of the oldest African Schools in New York. The school nurtured a generation of black leaders including James McCune Smith, Henry Highland Garnet, Patrick Reason, and other abolitionists whose stories are told in the Society's exhibition New York Divided: Slavery and the Civil War.
"We're proud and enthused to support Hidden Sites of Slavery and Freedom. What an ideal way of fostering in our local communities the twin goals of education and technology," says Patrick Gaston, Verizon Foundation President. "Through telephones, computers and hand-held wireless devices, this project brings to one's fingertips a rich but little-known chapter in New York's history." -- www.nyhistory.org
Posted February 6th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
