Salem's Public Artist in Residence Seeks Stories for Art Project

The City of Salem is excited to host multi-disciplinary artist Julia Csekö between May and December 2024 as the Public Artist in Residence (PAiR) at the Artist Row Residency Studio, located at 24 New Derby Street, Salem MA.

About the Project

The participatory public art installation Transcending Borders - Immigrant Experiences and Dreams will be featured in Artist Row until September 8th, 2024. The Artist Row studio will serve as a gathering point for the community to share and celebrate immigration stories. Additionally, Csekö has partnered with Salem Access TV to create a series of interviews featuring immigrant voices, and she will curate storytelling events throughout her tenure. The residency will reach its apex with an exhibition at Old Town Hall in January 2025.

Transcending Borders features over 2,000 brightly colored ribbons with the phrase "YOU ARE WELCOME HERE" in twelve languages commonly spoken by immigrant populations in greater Boston. The piece is inspired by the Brazilian custom of tying ribbons representing wishes on the fence surrounding the historical Church of Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador, Bahia. The project's innovative use of QR codes and a mailbox encourages public engagement and sharing of immigration stories, with an augmented reality integration linking participants to organizations supporting immigrant and refugee rights.

Be a part of the project, come down to Artists' Row, take a ribbon, and leave your story!

In the Artists words:
Since creating this piece, and interacting with the general public, I have learned that there is significant hesitation in sharing immigration stories, triggered by the fear of stigmatization fueled by misinformation and sensationalist narratives. This piece invites us to destigmatize immigration experiences and immigrant cultures by providing a positive perspective on these stories, thus creating a welcoming and safe environment.

As one of the participants keenly observed "There's just a big aversion to being an immigrant. It's like a negative thing, even unconsciously, even if you're not someone who thinks negative things about immigrants. We tend to hide it."

Each story told is treasured as a small breakthrough in normalizing the idea that most folks in the USA are immigrants in one way or another. The participants may choose to remain anonymous or share their identity. The stories will fuel the creation of new sound, textile, and word-based artwork.

"The Salem Public Artist Residency offers the space, time, and funding to develop a new body of work, by intertwining elements of my personal story with the stories of the multiple immigrant populations of greater Boston. The residency studio, located at the lively Artist Row, will be used as a place to welcome the general public to participate in storytelling and sharing of immigration experiences. This residency is a unique opportunity to create public participatory art that sparks conversations to destigmatize immigrant populations in North America. I am excited to experiment with materials and ideas that are connected to my Brazilian culture, such as the colorful ribbons featured in the Transcending Borders public installation. Come visit, take a ribbon, and tell a story."

About the Artist

Born in Colorado to Brazilian parents on self-exile during the Brazilian military dictatorship, Csekö grew up in Rio. Csekö has received the ALAANA Creative County Grant, SMFA Travelling Fellowship, the Collective Futures Grant, a Be The Change Award, local cultural council grants from the towns of Somerville, Randolph, and Newton, a Sculpture Space Residency, the Create the Vote MassCreative Fellowship, and is a current Artist-in-Residence at the Boston Center for the Arts and the City of Salem Public Artist in Residence. As well as public commissions, her work is held in collections such as Tufts Permanent Collection, Emerson College, MAM Rio, Morris and Belkin Gallery, CC São Paulo, and private collections. In 2025 Csekö is invited to return to MassMoCA as an A4A Alumni AiR. She received an MFA from the SMFA at Tufts in 2013.

Her passion for organizing dates back to her BFA at the Federal University of Rio UFRJ, when Csekö participated in successful negotiations demanding an increase from 0.3 to 1% of Brazilian national funds be allocated to arts and culture. She was also a committee member in conversation with the Brazilian Ministry of Culture. She continues to be a Cultural Sector Arts Advocate within her communities in North America.

This program is supported in part by The City of Salem, MA, a grant from the Salem Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the @masscultural a state agency, and the ALAANA grant from the Creative County Initiative of the Essex County Community Foundation @cityofsalem @creativecounty @essexcountycommunityfoundation@cityofsalem @salempublicartist @abcgreaterboston

About Artists' Row

Artists' Row is at the heart of the City, centrally located in historic downtown Salem at 24 New Derby St., across from Old Town Hall and Derby Square. It was originally built as a marketplace and continues to be a thriving public plaza and pedestrian way. Artists' Row consists of four artist 'stalls', one of which is dedicated to the City's Public Artist in Residence, a restaurant, and a public restroom and The Artists' Row Initiative is a seasonal program run by the City of Salem's office of Arts & Culture that provides space for artists and artisans looking to build their audience and/or business through daily engagement with residents and visitors to Salem. Learn more at: https://www.salemma.gov/artists-row

About City of Salem Arts & Culture Program

The City of Salem's Arts & Culture Program is committed to enriching & enlivening the urban environment through showcasing innovative & transformative works of art in all media & modalities. With a focus on working with local artists, especially those historically underrepresented, we seek to foster greater community awareness of & interaction with the arts and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Our goal is to nurture diversity & creativity; foster a sense of community pride & belonging; and enhance the quality of life for all. Learn more at https://www.salemma.gov/arts-culture

About the Salem Public Art Commission

With a focus on local artists and a global perspective of the art scene, the Salem Public Art Commission (PAC) seeks to foster greater community awareness of and interaction with the arts, enhance the scope and profile of Salem's public art collection, and celebrate diversity in all its forms among citizens and visitors of Salem's alike. The PAC feels Public Art in Salem should contribute to the community's identity as the cultural hub of the North Shore and a center for creativity; foster community pride & 'ownership'; and enhance the quality of Salem's built environment. To learn more and view Calls for Art from the PAC please visit: https://www.salemma.gov/public-art-commission/pages/calls-artists.

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