Harboring Project (2019)
In 2019, the Reciprocity Collaborative received funding from the National Parks Service and the Boston Foundation to activate urban national parks through site-specific investigation. Inspired by history and informed by the way visitors move through and experience historic sites, The Reciprocity Collaborative team designed guiding questions to link artist and site through creative inquiry, driven by observation and engagement with everyday rhythms and civic themes. By creating site-responsive, immersive work in non-traditional settings, the team engaged in practice-based research on creative placemaking.
The Harboring Project sought to re-introduce sacred practice on the Boston Harbor Islands as an outlet for the creative expression of eco-grief. We designed and implemented a sensory-oriented investigation of the islands’ diverse narratives, fostering individual artistic practices in articulation of engagement with the land. Centering on the concept of eco-grief, we connected inspired intuition with rigorous arts-practice to engage in the work of healing.
The project was led by core team members including poet and interaction designer Çaca Yvaire, creative facilitator Jessi Stegall, and social practice artist Kristin Barendregt-Ludwig.
