ACCELERATOR
Tanya Nixon-Silberg
They Did Not Know We Were Seeds, 2023
They Did Not Know We Were Seeds by Tanya Nixon-Silberg is a large (5x5x5) cylindrical planter, growing ancestral Indigo plants and holding the secret world of a miniature puppet theater that comes to life with a maneuverable Black puppet jump-roping through historical Black Boston.
The work is a testament to the resilience and the power of Black joy. As visitors engage with the installation, they will become the puppeteer, maneuvering a Black puppet jump-roping through the historical narrative of Black Boston, generating a little Black girl's joy.
Offering a diverse range of programming designed for people of all generations, this space will hold musical story hours, where children can celebrate the joy of Blackness. Ceremonies and workshops will be conducted to explore the history, techniques, and healing properties associated with indigo dyeing within the community. They Did Not Know We Were Seeds intends to serve as a meeting point for healing and a moment to remember that joy and care are part of our collective legacy.
“The bodily remembrance of Black joy is less about what viewers take with them, and more about what they leave behind,” said Nixon-Silberg. “The audience is encouraged to leave their judgments, heaviness, tiredness, and more, to open space within themselves for joy.” — Tanya Nixon-Silberg
LOCATION
Parker Hill Branch of the Boston Public Library in Roxbury
ACCELERATOR
Tanya Nixon-Silberg
Tanya Nixon-Silberg (she | her) is a Black mother, native Bostonian, educator, puppeteer and founder of Little Uprisings- an organization focused on centering artivism, racial justice, and liberation with kids. Her primary artistic identities lie in puppetry and storytelling and her work moves through the lens of liberation in Black identities focusing on body remembrances of childhood and joy. Her puppetry productions and creative research have been funded by The Jim Henson Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts,Puppet Showplace Theater, Boston Cultural Council and The Boston Foundation.
Tanya’s large-scale community-driven artistry has been exhibited at many Greater Boston institutions including the ICA, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Peabody Essex Museum, and Fuller Craft Museum. She is currently in a multi-year partnership with Boston and Brookline Public Schools leading anti-bias/anti-racism professional learning and curriculum development. Tanya is also the co-leader of the Un-ADULT-erated Black Joy Collective with other Black mothers in Boston, and co-producer of Play for Change with the Gottabees. You will mostly find Tanya playing and learning from her 10-year-old daughter, groaning from her husband's puns and imagining how we all get free together.