Norfolk, VA

Norview Community Center

Storyteller. Adair Dolomitic Limestone – varying sizes

When I visited with people in the community, one particular resident named Walter started telling me stories. I quickly realized that he was to become the centerpiece for this installation. As this was a predominantly African American community, he wanted me to express “the suffering of the people”. I wanted this to be a positive installation, so rather than focusing on suffering I put him into the setting as the storyteller. A good storyteller creates an oral history of a place and its people and keeps their listeners enthralled. This gentleman knew the history of this region and he was keeping the memories alive for future generations. The shapes of the nearby benches replicate the shapes in patterns of flooring I saw inside the Community Center. 

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