Let the Water Speak
ShaVunda Brown and Joe Davis perform at Let the Water Speak on August 22, 2019. Photo by Katrina Hannamann with Studio Laguna Photography
For the past few years the Folwell Neighborhood Association has been working intensely to reestablish a tight-night well networked neighborhood of residents who know and care for one an-other. The neighborhood’s community gardens are a key part of that work — as a gathering space to commune, celebrate and work together.
In cooperation with the Water Main and MPR, Folwell neighborhood association leaders are expanding their relationship-building work to include the Mississippi River. The Folwell Neighborhood is separated from the Mississippi river by an interstate highway and a sprawling industrial site.
This evening is dedicated to telling stories of the water and raising consciousness of the river in the lives of the people who live closest to it.
For more information about Let the Water Speak, read this blog post about the event by Danielle (Dani) Tietjen for her online project Gatherhaus.
“MPR created space for the community to come alive and lead an event that was built by local artists, storytellers, and cooks. In partnership with MPR, local Northside talent nurtured the environment they wanted to see. We were able to fill The Story Garden, a local community garden, with magic, soul and beauty. More than 40 neighbors came out to engage in a deeper conversation around their relationships with water, cultural histories and their responses to being intentionally separated from the water.”
D.A. Bullock of Bully Creative Shop filmed and produced these videos from Let the Water Speak.
Photos are by Katrina Hannamann with Studio Laguna Photography.