UPROOT: BIPOC Visions of Our Food System | 2024

Key Points

Description

UPROOT was a summer 2024 exhibition and event series organized by Constellation Collective (then DurmPAC) in collaboration with the Committee on Racial Equity at NC State’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems. The project created a healing, interactive space to share artwork, experiences, and stories from local BIPOC food leaders, practitioners, and community members.

The exhibition featured over forty pieces by twenty-five artists, curated across two Durham venues—Earthseed Land Collective and NorthStar Church of the Arts. Each site offered a distinct context for reflection: Earthseed’s community farm setting grounded the works in the landscape that inspired them, while NorthStar provided an intimate gathering place for dialogue and performance.

An accompanying workshop series extended UPROOT’s reach beyond the gallery walls. King Sage led a Land Body Movement workshop within NorthStar; the NC Climate Justice Summit Taproot Troupe performed an original piece centered on ecological and social resilience; and the exhibition’s opening ceremony centered a farm-to-table dinner hosted by The Palace International, honoring local food systems and community nourishment.

UPROOT served as the culmination of the Committee on Racial Equity’s Art as Method research project, transforming their academic findings into a living, participatory experience. The exhibition invited community members to reflect, respond, and contribute new layers of artistic and qualitative insight—furthering the shared mission of enabling artists to create freely while shaping systems of care and change.

– Jett Pavlica

Acknowledgements