Edisa Weeks is a multi-disciplinary artist currently in residence with Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Dance Department. She is on campus performing and presenting workshops. And, she’s creating the components of a future performance.
“I'm in the process of making one thousand eight hundred and sixty five roots out of paper and twine. 1865 represents the last year of legalized chattel slavery in America and it's for a performance installation that I'm doing and which I'll be performing in March of 2020 on liberty.”
But Weeks isn’t making the roots alone.
“It takes time to make one thousand eight hundred and sixty five roots, so I am inviting people to join me and I'm having roots parties. I call it a mash up between a sewing bee and barbershop talk where we generally have a discussion related to liberty in America.”
This isn’t Weeks’ first visit to Geneva. She’s had an opportunity to talk to people about issues facing the community. Those interactions provided focus for a Roots Party at the Geneva Public Library on Thursday, October 10th.
“When I was here in August I talked to several people about what are issues within the community. And one thing that I heard several people talk about was the lack of multiple supermarkets in Geneva New, York and especially the Tops closing there's only one now which is Wegmans, which is wonderful, but it's only in one section and how do other communities in Geneva actually have access to food and what are the issues around a food desert. Why do food deserts exist? How do we change that?”
The Roots Party on Thursday, October 10th will include food from El Morro restaurant and Deacon Henry Farro and Theresa Shaffer from Food Justice of Geneva will be on hand for the discussion about Food Justice in Geneva. The event is open to the public at the Geneva Public Library from 4:30 to 7:30 PM.
