Location: RU House at Colonels Row, Building #404B
Ferry information | Video directions | Map to RU House
Workshop Schedule:
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | 12 – 2pm [Session I]
Sunday, September 1, 2024 | 12 – 2pm [Session II]
Sunday, September 28 | 12 – 2pm [Session III]
Sunday, October 6, 2024 | 12 – 2pm [Session IV]
Sunday, October 13, 2024 | 12 – 2pm [Session V]
Sunday, October 20, 2024 | 12 – 2pm [Session VI] *RSVP required*
See below for details on each session.
The VoM workshop, Surviving and Thriving, led by Dennis RedMoon Darkeem (2024 VoM artist), centers on how the act of transforming everyday found objects through a collaborative art process can foster a deeper connection between individuals, community, and the land they inhabit. The six-session journey of creativity and community will cultivate meaning making through art, storytelling, and environmental connection.
Participants will explore various themes in each session and relate it to Governors Island’s natural habitat and history while creating a mixed-media collage shaped like the island itself. Using everyday objects like magazines, newspapers, and found natural materials from the island, each participant will collage a piece that represents their personal narrative of transformation and joy. As individual pieces are brought together, a larger, collective artwork will emerge, symbolizing the community’s shared connection to the land. Throughout the workshop, participants will engage in reflective discussions on narrative, identity, collaboration, and the reclamation of space through art. This immersive experience, enhanced by the soothing sounds of Governors Island’s native birds, will deepen participants’ understanding of the reclamation of space using art as a tool for personal and communal transformation.
No prior art experience is required—just bring your imagination and a willingness to connect through creative expression.
Workshop Sessions:
Session I: August 18 | Introductory Workshop – The use of collage art to express personal stories, experiences, and transformations.
- Participants created a collective collage using unconventional paper materials and other found objects. Jointly, they explored how repurposing and reusing everyday objects can lead to meaning-making and identity exploration. The goal was to encourage creativity in storytelling, using color and texture as tools for personal and communal expression.
Session II: September 1 | Narrative and Identity – What themes or emotions emerge when connecting personal narratives to a physical site like Governors Island?
- Introduction to the workshop and exploration of personal stories
- Participants will begin collaging their puzzle piece, reflecting on their own experiences, emotions, and transformations
- Group discussion on how personal narratives can be expressed through art
Session III: September 28 (VoM Exhibit opening day) | Collaboration and Community Building – How does working on individual pieces that contribute to a larger whole encourage collaboration and collective storytelling?
- Participants will continue working on their puzzle pieces, focusing on how their individual narratives connect with the larger community story
- Group activities designed to foster collaboration and collective storytelling
- Discussion on the power of shared creative expression and its role in building community connections
Session IV: October 6 | Reclaiming Space through Art – How can art-making help participants reclaim or redefine their relationship to the land?
- Exploration of Governors Island’s history and the significance of using found materials from the Island
- Participants will integrate found objects into their collages, contemplating how art can reclaim or redefine their relationship with the land.
- Group discussion on the impact of art-making on participants’ views of the space and its future.
Session V: October 13 (VoM Exhibit closing day) | Assembling the Collective Collage – Does using materials found on Governors Island affect how participants view the space, its history, and its future?
- Participants will come together to assemble the individual puzzle pieces into one large, collaborative artwork
- Reflection on the process of creating a collective piece and the themes that have emerged throughout the sessions
- Group discussion on the final collage as a visual representation of the community’s experience and connection to Governors Island
Session VI: October 20 | Reflection and Celebration – What can we learn about the power of shared creative expression in fostering community connections and its connection to joy? *Limited capacity for Session VI, please email owlredmoon2@gmail.com to RSVP*
- Participants will create collages reflecting on their own experiences, emotions, and transformations.
- Group reflection on the overall workshop experience, including the insights gained about narrative, community, and reclaiming space through art
- Celebration of the completed artwork and the connections formed during the workshop
- Participants will leave with a deeper appreciation of the transformative power of art in fostering community and belonging.
By exploring these themes, the Surviving and Thriving workshop seeks to understand how artistic collaboration can strengthen the bond between people, their environment, and their shared experiences, while exploring the potential of art to foster transformation and belonging within nomadic sites.
About the Voices of Multiplicity (VoM) Artist Residency Program
The 2024 Voices of Multiplicity (VoM) Artist Residency Program is led by RU Guest Curator Ayelet Danielle Aldouby with artists Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Immanuel Oni, Tanika I. Williams, and Shanjana Mahmud. From May through October, the four artists will work at Governors Island in their work space at the RU House located at 404B Colonels Row where they will invite the audience to participate in a series of workshops and art interventions.
Conceived in 2022 and curated by Ayelet Danielle Aldouby, the Voices of Multiplicity (VoM) Artist Residency Program offers opportunities for artists to gain cross-disciplinary competencies in socially engaged art, dismantle barriers to entry into the art-world and provide access to resources.
The 2024 VoM III Artist Residency Program is supported by The Brooklyn Public library (BPL) and the Roman Foundation.
RU is grateful for the partnership with Governors Island Arts.
