| Title | Cultural Tragedy |
| Artist / Creator | Janet Reynolds |
| Place of Publication | Houston, TX |
| Publication Date | 2017 |
| Contributors | Quote by James Baldwin |
| Process / Technique | Block printing |
| Structure / Binding | Double accordion |
| Medium / Materials | Water soluble ink pencils, colored pencils, ink |
| Paper Stock | Canson Mi Tientes |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 2.25 x 3.625 x .5 inches closed. Extends out to 15.5 inches. |
| Edition Size | Unique |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed by the artist |
Cultural Tragedy by Janet Reynolds -SOLD!
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James Baldwin is quoted as saying, "Urban renewal means...Negro removal". Freedman's Town is in Houston's Fourth Ward near downtown. This community on the National Register of Historic Places continues to be threatened by urban renewal. The shotgun houses which inspired this book have slowly disappeared to make room for new high-rise homes. The streets are made from bricks that were made and laid by freed slaves and their ancestors. In addition to the disappearing architecture, these historic bricks have been damaged during a construction project. These and other historic structures are being preyed upon by developers who want to bulldoze them to the ground. Is it too late to save this community so its historical culture is not forgotten?
Artist Bio
Janet Reynolds is a visual artist/teacher and has been teaching art to children in Texas for six years. She also teaches workshops at the Printing Museum in Houston. Her interest in book arts began when she attended a summer residency at Boston University. She completed her Masters in Art Education from Boston University in January of 2013 and the focus of her thesis project was exploring artistic learning through tunnel books. She is interested in the architecture of churches and has made several tunnel books incorporating this subject matter. She is passionate about the environment and has incorporated this subject into several books to express environmental issues. She enjoys learning new ways to make accordion books, hand stitched books, and experimenting with other forms of sculptural bookmaking.