“Water Works: Distillations” examines the binding connection between communities of African descent and the natural bodies of water that surround them
By Michelle Brown
DELRAY BEACH FL– Closing out Black History Month on a high note, “Water Works: Distillations” opened on February 21, 2025, as the newest exhibit of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. Curated by Allison Bolah and featuring original works by artist, Franklyn Sinanan, “Water Works” explores the binding relationship between Black communities and the natural bodies of water that surround them.
The exhibit will be on display through September 21, 2025, in the main galleries of the museum, 170 NW 5th Avenue, Delray Beach, FL. At the opening reception, Bolah explained the fluid thread that tied the exhibit’s various mediums together – from mixed multi-media scenes and sun-bleached shells to recorded, oral histories and Bahamian postcards from the museum archives.
“The idea is to look at the African diaspora and how water is the element that connects its descendants, not only through its pragmatic uses, but also in how we relate to it on a personal level,” she said. “The oral histories are conversations about each person’s experience with water, whether it be Khaulah (Nuruddin)’s aunt teaching her to swim or Franklyn’s memory of swimming in Lake Ontario.”
Bolah participates in collaborative and educational artistic endeavors that join community and academic work with her studio practice. She has spearheaded multidisciplinary group shows and artist professional development workshops, presented her research at various symposia, developed book arts projects as the Minnesota Center for Book Arts Collegiate Fellow, and is a recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant in support of her project Tell Me About Your Mother. Her installations include photographs, multimedia and paper-based work. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies from Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
“We will continue to add to the exhibit, as we record more conversations and artifacts from local people’s memories of water,” she said.
Sinanan’s original, multi-media paintings are 3D portraits of figures interacting with the ocean, lakes and marine life. Learn more about his work at www.franklinsinanan.com.
“We depend on water for utility, energy and transportation. We cook, clean, relax, and observe life’s transitions with water. We hold personal beliefs, ceremony, and rituals all around water,” he said.
ABOUT THE SPADY CULTURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM:
The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum was established in July 2001 by the non-profit organization, EXPANDING AND PRESERVING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, INC., a 501(c)3 Florida organization. Located in the 1926 former home of educator Solomon D. Spady, the museum preserves and shares local Black history with Delray Beach Black archives, exhibits, bus tours, walking tours, commemorative events and youth mentoring. Hours: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday; all other hours are by appointment. (561) 279-8883; wwwspadymuseum.com; info@spadymuseum.org.
