On Tuesday, October 4th, 2016 I had a wonderful time presenting my work at Residency Unlimited in Brooklyn, NY. Along with the four other artists from the Downtown New Rochelle Artist Residency program, I was able to share my project which was developed over the summer. You can find the photo album from this event here.
During this residency I focused on the oldest neighborhood in New Rochelle. Designed in the late 1800's, Rochelle Park has had a very interesting history which reflects the city's evolution over time. I was very lucky to meet with one of Rochelle Park's historical society members, who gave me a detailed walking tour of the neighborhood and it's history. Additionally, the city historian gave me access to original maps, documents, and photographs taken throughout the history of Rochelle Park.
While this project is still ongoing, the residency has concluded. I had the opportunity to meet several community members of Rochelle Park, and New Rochelle. Many of our conversations centered around the idea of home, community, and how the city of New Rochelle was changing.
So far, I've created two drawings from photographs of houses in Rochelle Park. They are accompanied by audio from current and former residents of the neighborhood as they reflect on the building's ability to structure home and community.