I Was Here Inc

I WAS HERE FEATURES IMAGES OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE TURNED INTO "ANCESTOR SPIRIT PORTRAITS," THE PORTRAITS EMBODY FAMILY: MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHER, SISTER. THEY FORM COHESIVE, ETHEREAL IMAGES THAT CONVEY THE DIGNITY OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY- IMAGERY MOSTLY MISSING IN AMERICA'S VISUAL HISTORY. WHAT I WAS HERE ACCOMPLISHES WITH EXHIBITIONS (IN GOVT BUILDINGS, PUBLIC SPACES, MUSEUMS, NONPROFITS, & BUSINESSES) OF PUBLIC ART AND PUBLIC HISTORY INSTALLATIONS IS A MINDFUL, REVERENT, AND POWERFUL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMERICAN HISTORY; HISTORY MAY BE MISUNDERSTOOD, MISINTERPRETED, IGNORED, AND FORGOTTEN. THIS YEAR WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE COMPLETION OF OUR NEW AUGMENTED VIRTUAL REALITY EXHIBIT, AN INTERACTIVE MOBILE APP WHICH GUIDES THE VIEWER THROUGH SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL CITY SITES, TEACHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT OCCURED IN EACH LOCATION. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2021: 1. PERMANENT -INSTALLATION OF ANCESTOR SPIRIT PORTRAITS AT THE OCTAGON MUSEUM, WASHINGTON DC - HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARCHITECTS FOUNDATION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH I WAS HERE, THE ARCHITECTS FOUNDATION WILL INITIATE A NATIONAL CHAUTAUQUA FOCUSING ON THE ROLE ARCHITECTS CAN PLAY TO RECONFIGURE THE BROKEN CITIZENSHIP CREATED BY ENSLAVEMENT. 2. PERMANENT -INSTALLATION AT THE SISTERS OF LORETTO MOTHERHOUSE IN LORETTO KY WITH A COMMUNITY GATHERING AT LORETTO CHURCH, A PLACE OF WOUNDING FOR THE ENSLAVED WHO BUILT IT IN 1861-63, A PLACE OF WOUNDING FOR THOSE WOMEN AND MEN WHO WORSHIPED HERE WHILE HELD IN BONDAGE BY THE SISTERS OF LORETTO MOTHERHOUSE. 3. ANCESTOR SPIRIT PORTRAITS DIGITALLY INTEGRATED INTO THE DYCKMAN FARMHOUSE MUSEUM IN INWOOD, NYC TO COMPRISE A MUSEUM WITHIN THE MUSEUM CREATING A MODEL FOR SMALL AND LARGE HISTORY 'HOUSE' MUSEUMS AROUND THE COUNTRY.