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Join us as at The Melroy for this powerful presentation. Have you seen the art and tapestries around town and wondered what they were? Come to The Melroy and hear from the curators directly. This event is open to the public and free of charge. The I Was Here Project is a powerful, multi-part artistic and educational initiative. Rooted in a series of Ancestor Spirit Portraits—originally created in 2016 by photographing contemporary African Americans as archetypal ancestors—the project fills a visual and historical void in our nation’s collective memory. These striking portraits create space for reverent recognition of the unacknowledged Nation Builders whose stories remain absent from America’s visual and historical record. The installations act as transformational forces in public spaces, inviting both acknowledgment and healing in the face of a fractured civic identity.
In 2020, the I Was Here Project expanded its reach by partnering with MAD Arts, allowing for the integration of immersive technology. This fusion of humanities and innovation breathes new life into public history, inviting audiences into a layered, interactive journey through memory, ancestry, and American identity.
The workshops empower participants to explore the power of ancestry as a way to understand personal identity. The personal narratives that have risen from these workshops, on the eve of 2026, offer an opportunity to reflect and contemplate the significance of Nation Building as it relates to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Project is more than an exhibition—it is a call to memory, a reckoning with history, and an invitation to co-create a more inclusive narrative of America’s past. By situating this work in public spaces and blending it with dialogue and education, the project becomes a living archive of shared heritage and healing.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
144 North Broadway , Lexington, KY, United States, Kentucky 40517
