The talk is in conjunction with an exhibition of the Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden Project in the Esther Raushenbush Library at Sarah Lawrence College, February - May 2017. An unveiling of the first full size sculpture, I’Satta, will take place at a date to be announced.
Vinnie Bagwell is a storyteller for the African diaspora who knows how to incorporate the story in a finely-tuned, visual portrayal of historical events. From “Frederick Douglass Circle”(Hofstra University and Frederick Douglass Museum) to “The Enslaved Africans' Rain Garden" (an urban-heritage sculpture garden being created for the City of Yonkers), Bagwell’s sculptures are meant to give voice to their stories and meaning to their legacies. She is a native and resident of Yonkers and has always been an agent for social, educational, and economic growth via the arts in her community.
Ty Gray-EL is a spoken-word artist, educator, and Washington, DC's poet laureate. He is an internationally renowned storyteller and the national spokesperson for the Spoken-Word Billboard Awards. He is also the host of the popular "Breath of My Ancestors" Radio Show. Gray-EL’s storytelling, from the perspective of enslaved Africans and African Americans, is captivating yet educational, at a level that enriches the soul.