Lightime: Light + Social Justice
September–December 2017
How can photography effect social action in Pittsburgh?
In fall 2017, Pittsburgh-based artist Alisha B. Wormsley led The People Are The Light, a series of workshops and public art installations in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood that explored the connection between light and social justice. These events invited participants to reflect on Homewood’s past and present and share their visions for its future.
Twelve artist-collaborators, curated by Wormsley, led events and performances throughout neighborhood spaces and in two public art installations. Each event explored the connections between past, present and future. Robert Hodge’s The Beauty Box served as a snapshot from Homewood’s past, reimagining an open-air fruit stand as it may have been decades ago. Through a series of workshops, ten women artists celebrate and invite reflection on Homewood’s present. Ricardo Robinson’s Morrow’s Hush creates an outdoor sound installation, encouraging deep listening and consideration of Homewood’s future soundscape.
Wormsley premiered The People Are The Light the film, at Carnegie Museum of Art. Inspired by her monthlong series of events in Homewood, the film features Wormsley’s photography and video documentation from the project. Immediately following the premiere, Wormsley was joined by four of her collaborators: Nisha Blackwell, Bekezela Mguni, Ricardo Robinson, and Anqwenique Wingfield as they shared their experiences with and within the Homewood community.
Artists
- Dina “Free” Blackwell
- Nisha Blackwell
- Ayana “Sade” Clark
- Yona Harvey
- Robert Hodge
- Joy KMT
- Ayanah Moor
- Bekezela Mguni
- Staycee Pearl
- Ricardo Robinson
- Felicia Savage
- Anqwenique Wingfield
- Alisha B. Wormsley
See the full schedule of The People Are the Light events.
Support
Generous support for the Hillman Photography Initiative is provided by the William Talbott Hillman Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.