ARTIST’S STATEMENT

The visual history depicted in this piece and its content are like a guiding light to the present and on into the future. Diversity is the key.

Everything we utilize and touch is influenced by a variety of cultures. Every human being, no matter their status, has contributed to what exists here in America.

Early settlers were of many cultures, both immigrants and native Americans plus those taken by force. They gathered and lived in groups, developing pride in their neighborhoods and reflecting the culture they knew. Their ways of living and raising their families affected those around them, including the owners of the businesses that hired them. These communities still exist today. There is visible evidence that these segregated and blending cultures have created who we are today as people. My work reflects anthropological digs from the African American graveyards to the European architectural craftsmanship seen in cities.

It takes people from many places on this Earth to speak of who we are as a society. This is what this piece is about. The music, the transportation, the buildings, the inventions are made by people in various segments of society. There are signs and clues that we are a one-world American society and all must be acknowledged as contributors. Despite the clashes between differences in wealth, religion, and gender, evidence of human interaction – the blending, prevails.