We are collecting stories to both celebrate the role of the immigrant in Utica’s history and culture, and to highlight the extent to which all of us are deeply intertwined with one another within our community. Our region, in and around Utica NY, has a long vibrant history of various immigrant communities that have contributed to the fabric of our culture, and this work hopes to serve as a testament to protect our history from being rewritten by nativists.
We recorded interviews with people in the region who have migrated here from elsewhere. Our subjects range from personal friends to strangers who graciously volunteered. All interviews were done in person and recorded with a hand-held device.
The interviews revolved around three questions:
In addition to the voice recordings, we captured a photograph at each interview. Participants in this project were given the choice to remain anonymous, so some participants chose to have meaningful objects photographed instead of themselves. Following the interviews, Sherman photographed sites around Utica that were featured in people’s stories. All photographs were taken with an analog SLR camera.
We present our collected stories at the Gannett Gallery using immersive directional speakers, which allow visitors to only hear sound within a limited radius, so that guests can walk in and out of the hearing range of different stories throughout the gallery. Each story station will feature chairs and a coffee table with the narrator’s portrait, inviting visitors to sit, stay, and listen. Black and white photographs of Utica landscapes will hang in the background on the walls.
Exhibition runs from from October 6 to November 14.
Opening reception: Friday October 10, 5-7pm.
To accompany our exhibition, we are screening the film Utica: The Last Refuge. Saturday October 25 at 2pm. The film will be screened in the Kunsela Hall Auditorium.
We invite you to a conversation in which you tell us about how you got here, the obstacles you faced, and what you like or dislike about your new home. We will record your answer. You are free to remove your consent and stop the recording at any time.
In addition to your recorded voice, we ask to take a photograph that represents you in some way. If you do not want your portrait published, then we can take a photograph of something that is meaningful to you and your story in some way.
Participants in this project are given the option to remain anonymous, and we will take care to protect your identity if that is your choice. We are happy to provide options if you do not want your voice or image to be identifiable.
Photographs and recordings will be presented to the public in art exhibitions, and on our project website to extend access to the stories. We will ask for your consent before we publish or display your story and image.
To participate, please contact Ana Jofre or Sherman Stein.