Traces Woven

Always drawn to the layered histories of place, I began my research into Slabtown and discovered several stories that shaped this community. Native Americans once lived in the area, creating and selling traditional baskets. Chinese immigrants later cultivated vegetables and crops on less desirable land, selling their produce locally. I imagine their labor intersecting—Chinese farmers carrying harvests in Native-made baskets. At one time, up to nine creeks and rivers carved their way through this land before being buried or redirected underground. In more recent history, the Chapman School chimney became a seasonal home for thousands of Vaux’s Swifts, whose annual migration is now a celebrated community event.

Drawing from these histories, I created Traces Woven. Three suspended basket-like forms honor the Native tradition of weaving for community use. Green leaves attached to the sculptures symbolize the crops Chinese immigrants grew to sustain both themselves and their neighbors. Interwoven among the sculptures and rafters are bird- and wave-like strands—echoes of the waterways that once ran through the region, and of the swirling flocks of swifts that continue to gather each year.

Suspended high above the library’s clerestory, the installation invites viewers to look upward, to remember, and to celebrate the people, waterways, and migrations that shaped Slabtown. The work reflects my artistic sensibility and my enduring interest in recovering and honoring the stories that came before us.

Thank you to the Regional Arts and Culture Council for administering this public art project.