Seed Summer Residency

In the summer of 2021, the Seed Summer Residency was a time for seven visionary residents and five passionate educators to gather in Richmond, VA.

We felt the sun's warmth and the earth's embrace as we connected deeply with each other and with the wisdom of our ancestors.

Artists in Residence:

Ayana Zaire Cotton, Isabelle Roque, Justin Smith,
Sam Page, Curly Dacs, Joy McMillian, Linda Zeb Hang

Guest Workshop Facilitators:

Chino Amobi, Devin Cuthbertson, Justin Smith, Ricky Weaver

Excerpt from, Seed to Summer: An Archive & Reflection

"Two things can be true at once. This way of viewing the world has acted as one of my anchors in the last five years. The beauty of this sentiment is that it reflects what it puts forth. It comes to the surface of my mind when I am trying to find compassion. It comes to mind when it's time to let go. It comes to mind every time I have held contradicting feelings. It holds all these things, and after moving through Seed Summer, I now see how expansive it can be.

The word stronghold often sits in comparison to a militia. Under the lens of Exodus, it softens. There is something in the softening of a space. There is something about acknowledging all the ways that we were.

All the ways we show up.

Fortified by lineage,

spiritualism, deep ecology,

and community.

Made Delicate

because of the pandemic,

because of institutions,

because of capitalism,

and because trying times are always trying.

Gaining so much and grieving so much.

And sometimes the work was rest.
Most of the time, we found a finality in the process.

There was no labor for labor's sake.

There is something in the softening of a space that makes it strong.

We were located outside of the city on an acre of land and when we went into the city as a collective, the distinction was felt immediately. The temperature was higher in the city due to fewer trees and more people, and the energy we cultivated in our stronghold did not travel with us. This is a nod to the relationship we formed with the land and a nod to what is lacking in the spaces we navigate daily.

I remember driving back to my home that summer, holding this experience close. I knew that “entering” into our “normal” framework would knock the wind out of me. It did. But, I now navigate from a place of knowing a vital truth. That many worlds can sit together.

I have always been in the school of eradicating vs. refining. Now I sit in the school of making. Creating so many universes within this system that the framework buckles.

It just didn’t feel like we were using the master’s tool.

I well up thinking about that feeling. It may have just been that feeling, but to feel that in this lifetime. To acknowledge the tools, the system, and this time but then make our own fundamentally shifted how I view the world. A Sci-Fi made manifest."

Seed to Summer: An Archive & Reflection

This publication was created to share with you the vibrant and transformative journey of Exodus. The story of this project is one of growth and resilience, and we invite you to join and connect on this sacred path.

-In the summer of 2021, the Seed Summer Residency, was a time for seven visionary residents and five passionate educators to gather in Richmond, VA. We felt the warmth of the sun and the embrace of the earth as we connected deeply with each other and with the wisdom of our ancestors.

From Seed to Summer: Archive & Reflection captures the essence of this journey. Through the powerful words readers witness the evolution of Exodus from 2019 to 2021. We delve into the first chapter one, Southern Trees Bear Strange Data, from the profound work by resident Ayana Zaire Cotton, Cykofa: The Seeda Origin Story.

Space is made in the archive to celebrate through the sharing of vibrant images that document our time together.