Below – a gallery of Albion’s material culture that gathered, catalogued and displayed at the Bobbitt Visual Arts Center at Albion College.
Caminata
Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo with Albion
I am happy to share news about Caminata, the three-month pilgrimage that I have been pursuing in Albion, Michigan, as part of the Philip C. Curtis Artist Residency at Albion College.
An exhibition documenting some aspects of this experience will be on view at the Bobbitt Visual Arts Center during November 2 – December 3, 2019.
The Caminata exhibition includes a projection of The Great Blizzard of 1978, a card by Maggie LaNoue to which she has kindly let me into her illustration of the historic snow storm in town. The vestment and cap I wear in the card were designed and made by Susan Heisler.
Another component of the show is that of two audios, one entitled Albion A-Y, inspired by Linda Mary Montano’s piece for which she read the names and last names of the inhabitants of a town straight from a telephone book. In the case of Albion A-Y, I asked vocalist Ikpemesi Ogundare to sing the names of each one of the streets in Albion in gospel, rap and opera style. Sound Engineer is Christopher Pride. In addition to being played in the gallery, Albion A-Y will be broadcasted from the tower at the Science Building at the College, and through the PA system on Superior St., the main thoroughfare in downtown Albion. Dates to be announced soon.
Visit AlbionMich.net to learn more about Albion by clicking the squirrel at right.
The second audio, In Albion’s Words, is an hours-long compilation of voices from Albion talking about their home place, what was, what is and what they envision for this postindustrial town, which has been referred to as “The Little Detroit.” Sound engineering for this audio is in charge of Geoffrey Jones. A selection of personal items, one for each person I met and recorded, serves to accompany In Albion’s Words.
In the exhibition as well, is a series of printed articles that have been part of Albion Through My Eyes, the weekly column that I have been writing for The Recorder, a local newspaper.
And in the spirit of gratitude, and since I see the world as my atelier, I have gifted my art studio space at Albion College to some of the young artists part of Kids at Hope, a program founded and directed by Mr. Harry Bonner.
This exhibition and its programming are my very modest but big thank you to the beautiful town of Albion and its inspiring peoples. Nicolás
About Caminata:
In September of 2019 I, Nicolás, relocated from the Bronx, New York, to Albion, Michigan, to engage in a cultural pilgrimage focused on walking, meeting people of all backgrounds and walks of life, and being in community. This exhibition seeks to document some of the many aspects of this embodied journey, almost all of which will remain as lived experiences.
Caminata combines all of my previous expertise and skills in art-making, teaching, public speaking, organizing people, healing, producing participatory workshops, writing for newspapers as well as academic publications, and creating multidimensional and transdisciplinary experiences where art and the day-to-day often walk side by side.
Caminata © 2015 Nicolás Dumit Estévez
I thank all of the cherubs that, while living far from town, hovered over me while I walked through Albion: David Hinkle, Rafael Emilio Céspedes, Miguel Raful, Maggie Ens, Rory Golden, Linda Mary Montano, Margarita María Raful Ovalles, Julie Davey, María Alós, Josefa Benedicta Ovalles Raful, Nicolás Estévez Espejo, and Jane Clarke. To hear the podcast of Albion Voices visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIDUjGeOT8E&feature=youtu.be
Click the video below hear the stories of Albion Michigan residents.
Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espego visited Albion as part of the Albion College Philip C. Curtis Artist-in-Residence program.
During the fall of 2019, Nicolás visited with Albion residents, and shared information about his pilgrimage in Albion at the Bobbit Visual Arts Center. He also wrote a column for The Recorder Newspaper called “Albion Through My Eyes.”
