Januwa Moja, an artist based in Washington, D.C., participates in a lively exchange with Al Haynes, Yemaya Jones, and other U.S. Virgin Islands-based artists, researchers, and exemplars of style about dress and identity on the island of St. Croix. This discussion was organized as part of the Will to Adorn project.
Photo by Sally Van de Water, courtesy Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
Diana N’Diaye interviews a woman at the Alfred Street Baptist Church Runway Fashion show, May 12, 2012.
Photo by Sharon Farmer, courtesy of National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Will to Adorn project documents and preserves an aspect of African American culture that has not yet been the subject of significant formal folklore study. Through collaborative research, the project endeavors to foster reciprocal learning among diverse partners, instill a sense of pride in community traditions, and contribute to broadening perspectives on African American aesthetics as a whole. Through identifying, documenting, and contextualizing the work of African American “artisans of style,” the project also ensures the preservation and representation of artistic expressions that are underrepresented in museum collections and public programs.
