Art/Music

Mudcloth Farmers (2020)

Mudcloth farmers till, plant, and give thanks demonstrating the importance of agriculture to the past, present, and future of Gainesville. This piece captures the long history of African Americans as environmental stewards as well as the hope for a Black agricultural resurgence in the face of a changing climate. Various African fabrics were used to maintain the linkages among the people, skills, knowledge, and foods taken from Africa and brought to the Florida soil.

Nsoromma (2020)

The nsoromma star symbolizes guardianship and the constant protection of God in the face of danger, challenges, or obstacles. Ghanian legend tells of the Baule tribe’s war with the Ashanti who chased them to a deep river where they made the ultimate sacrifice, their sovereign child, in exchange for passage. The river beasts then formed a bridge to allow the tribe to safely walk over their backs across the river to escape danger. Historically, people of Gainesville have met and conquered literal and metaphorical beasts in their journey to progress. The guardianship continues.