African American Marbleization is a series of sculptures by Yvonne Shortt. It is her response to oppression and racisms of African Americans in art, history, and her country. It draws on her personal experience of being a woman of color and her desire to use education, communication, research, and art to further conversation and  action. Shortt portrays everyday people of color and objects used primarily by people of color who are at war with a social, economic, and political system that has  undervalued their labor and bodies since the formation of the U.S.A. Through research of the objects, community conversations, and redesign the objects take on  new/enhanced forms and meanings.

A pond installation built with the local community to install sculptures above and under the water of the pond. The sculptures are designed based on everyday artifacts from the time of Myers. It aims to commemorate all the everyday people who each took part in the Underground Railroad movement, and the importance of how we choose to  live our everyday life to create change.

Sculptures
A couple of pieces installed above water will be modeled after the pieces of furniture in the Underground Railroad Education Center such as the woodstove in the parlor. We will work with the community members and have them create pieces in the water. The design of these pieces will be based on the everyday life artifacts found through the Center’s archeology program. The above-water sculptures will be visible from the sidewalk and attract viewers, and as they approach the pond they will see more objects underwater which will create a more intimate experience with the installation.

Community members are welcome to participate in building the sculpture under Yvonne’s direction. Interested? Call Mary Liz Stewart at 518-621-7793 or email via the Contact Us page. Leave a message and Mary Liz will call you back with details. Please plan to commit to participating 9am-12pm from July 26 through July 30.