OUR PROGRESS
The PROGRESS page allows you to follow the evolution of SEWANEE PRAISES from its latest activities down to its earliest planning in the summer of 2023. Scroll down to see how community-driven, empathic design principles guide this project.
The updates are in reverse chronological order, with the latest at the top.
Design students from Virginia Tech working on a temporary Sewanee Praises Memorial in February 2024
PRAISES Design updates in person, Oct. 4&5 2024
While in Virginia, the Roberson Project Team, the Sewanee Praises Team, and members of the St. Mark’s community visited the universities of VCU and Virginia Tech to meet with our student collaborators to see their initial deign presentations for the final phase of the design process.
Memorial Inspiration Field Trip, Oct. 1-5 2024
Did somebody say "road trip"? At the beginning of October, The Roberson Project and members of the St. Mark's Community made their way to Virginia looking for inspiration for the SEWANEE PRAISES project. Stops included: The Virginia State Capitol, the Institute of Contemporary Art at VCU, and Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved at William & Mary.
Community Charrette on September 7th, 2024
On Saturday, September 7th, the Roberson Project hosted a community charrette between the Sewanee community and the design and architecture students from Virginia Commonwealth University (UVA) and Virginia Tech. Check out the photos from the event below, including some of the key questions, concerns, and ideas that came out of the day of active conversation and deep listening.
Student Brainstorm Session September 6th, 2024
On Friday, September 6th, the design teams from VCU and VaTech gathered and spent the day in the EQB House, equipped with over-sized Post-It sticky easel pads, colored pencils and pens, and lots of drawing paper to collect insights and impressions and then start sketching out design ideas — all of which was stimulated by the lively and laughter-filled conversations over Jamaican food served at the community dinner the night before at the St. Mark’s Community Center. Check out (below) the photos from the event, including some of the key questions, concerns, and ideas that came out of the day. See the gallery further below for an up-close look at the creative ideas that came out of the brainstorming session.
This day of letting ideas flow was “empathic design” in action, as the students strove to transmit all they heard from their clients — the people of the St. Mark’s neighborhood — into design concepts. The back-and-forth between community and designers is critical here, as the designers aim to create, not what they think is important, but what their clients wish to see.
Community Dinner September 5th, 2024
On Thursday September 5th, the Roberson Project hosted a community dinner at the St. Mark’s Community Center. Floyd’s Jamaican Jerk Chicken from South Pittsburgh catered the event, bringing their Caribbean flavors to Sewanee.
May 2024: Video Reflections by VCU Interior Design Students
This moving video captures the aims and aspirations of the VCU design team of students during their first on-campus visit to Sewanee.
VCU Students Design St. Mark’s Monument May 23-29, 2024
Architect Laura Battaglia and her class of interior design students from Virginia Commonwealth University visited Sewanee, spent hours with the people of the St. Mark’s community, and designed a temporary exhibit that is now located on the former site of the segregated Kennerly School on Palmetto Avenue in Sewanee. The memorial inspired the Sewanee Praises logo design. Each student conceived and painted a wooden panel that became part of the exhibit. They were inspired by conversations with the Sewanee community and by the stained glass of the All Saints’ Chapel. Students created their designs using handmade stencils, spray paint, and wood. While each student created their own design, collaboration was central to their contributions. The photos follow all the action from their week in Sewanee.
VCU & Sewanee Community Cookout Memorial Day 2024
On May 27th, the Roberson Project hosted the Virginia Commonwealth Students and the Sewanee community for a cookout. Check out the photos from the day! This day was the first meeting in person after a semester of remote communications. In-person made all the difference!
VCU Students Tour Sewanee May 2024
In late May, design student from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) visited Sewanee with art and design instructor, Laura Battaglia. To understand the community, students visited All Saints’ Chapel, the overlook at the War Memorial Cross, the St. Mark’s Neighborhood, and the Blue Chair, which was meal-central during their time on campus. (They also stayed in Smith Dormitory!)
February 2024
In February, Kevin Jones, a professor of Architectural Design at Virginia Tech, brought his students to Sewanee to gain inspiration for designing a temporary monument. They met with Dr. Tiffany Momon and Dr. Woody Register to learn about the area. Students also met with members of the local African American community whose memories gave the students insight into what the space meant to the community and what the Sewanee Praises memorial might be and do for the community.
Fall 2023
Students and faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University built a three-dimensional site model of the St. Mark’s neighborhood, using the information the Roberson Project and Dr. Chris Van de Ven of the Landscape Analysis Lab provided.
Summer 2023
Architecture professors Ronald Kloster from Hampton University and Kevin Jones of Virginia Tech visited Sewanee in late June for a close up inspection of all parts of the town and a crash course on the work of the Roberson Project. They also got a chance to meet a lot of people from the community in a potluck barbecue dinner at the renovated St. Mark's Community Center. The airlines foiled the travel plans of our colleague from Virginia Commonwealth University, Laura Battaglia, who joined us for her own version of this community encounter several weeks later. The Roberson Project staff and our architect friends also spent a Zoom hour talking with Frank Dukes of the University of Virginia, a specialist in mediation and facilitation of community justice projects, like UVA's Memorial to Enslaved Laborers. Frank's "work involves equitable collaboration - work that emphasizes relationship and that is trauma-informed, inclusive, responsive, truth-seeking, deliberative, and adaptive to organizational and community needs and circumstances." (An image of Kevin's notes from our meeting with Frank Dukes above.)
