While researching the archives of Camp Hill, I found a story about a traveler who came across a perfectly kept house on a quiet side road. When he praised the beauty of the garden, the old woman living there simply said, "Course it is, I lives here." She didn’t care that the main highway was far away or that few people saw her work. She made it beautiful because it was her home.
When I first came to Camp Hill, I felt like the traveler from that old archival story. But instead of perfectly kept gardens, I saw many abandoned homes. I started searching for the reasons why, looking into the history of what happened here.
However, this project isn't about the past or the ruins. It’s about how a traveler sees what is happening now.
I saw a community supporting itself—like the food pantries run by ACROSS (The Alabama Center for Rural Organizing and Systemic Solutions). Unlike my time in Kashmir, where I wanted to become one of the people I was with, here I stayed a traveler. I am an observer watching how a community chooses to stay and rebuild.
This ongoing work, supported by the Verdant Grant, will be shown on May 16th in an old gallery space we are currently renovating, followed by an Art Biennale in September 2026.
