An Intimate Exploration of Culture and Memory at NXTHVN

Reverence: An Archival Altar is an art-based project that celebrates the unique stories of the everyday person held as the “greats and giants” within the local Black community of New Haven. Through the memory work of story collection, Reverence brings together the power of archival preservation and the sacred practice of ancestor veneration through altars. Archives are altars and the act of altar building is a deeply powerful practice that grounds viewers in the belief that all Black folks deserve to be witnessed and revered.