Ellen Blalock joined the Schweinfurth Art Center as an Artist-in-Residence, working to bridge the gap between Auburn’s African American community and the Center. Auburn has a rich relationship to the civil rights movement through its connections to the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, and William Seward. Despite that, modern day Auburn and Cayuga County struggle with diversity and inclusion because of systemic racism. Ellen’s project sought to collect family stories and empower the community to become storytellers of their own history through photography and quilt making. Ellen photographed families, churches, and events and invited groups to the Art Center to transform their family photographs into quilts. She debuted a selection of photographs from the project in “Faces of Tomorrow,” an exhibit at the Booker T. Washington Community Center in celebration of Juneteenth. The project culminated in a Black Family Album book for the local library, with a book launch celebration at the Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Harriet Tubman National Historic Park.

The Schweinfurth Art Center provides creative opportunities and transformational experiences through the arts, for all people. They believe in public access to the arts and are committed to integrity; diversity, equity, access, and inclusion; excellence; understanding with generosity of spirit; and lifelong learning.