This project is a series of public art and public history installations that serve as a mindful, reverent, and powerful acknowledgment of American history.
Through the blending of history, technology, humanities and the arts, the project explores the significance of memory, history, and ancestry.
meaning
Through a synthesis of the arts and technology, the project is an invitation to examine our history and bring a new understanding to the concept of Nation Building. Truly understanding our history is the gateway to creatively conceive how we can honor the Cofounders of our Country in a way that transforms how we see ourselves and each other.
Inspiration
The I Was Here project began in 2016 as a set of emblematic Ancestor Spirit Portraits created by photographing contemporary African Americans as archetypal Ancestor Spirits. The portraits create a visual representation of our unacknowledged Nation Builders – imagery absent in America’s visual records.
Reshaping the Commemorative Landscape
Our installations create a transformational force in public spaces to acknowledge and heal our broken citizenship.
Downtown lexington
Lexington, KY
Octagon Museum
Washington D.C.
Dyckman Farmhouse
New York, NY
Support
You can support the project by making a donation. Your donation allows us to bring the project to new locations across the nation.
Contact our team about an installation or exhibition.