CCA News

CCA Alumna Maria Ryan: Community Arts in Uganda

Posted on Thursday, September 9, 2010, by Jason Engelund

In August CCA alumna Maria Ryan (BFA Sculpture 2005) started a community arts project in Africa. Maria emailed over the summer letting me know of her continued community arts practice as well as her upcoming project in Uganda. (Below is an interview with Maria Ryan (MR) and Center for Art in Public Life Design and Marketing Manager Jason Engelund (JE) conducted prior and following Maria's travels.)

In 2004 Maria was awarded a Center Student Grant for her project Quilting the Indigenous Plant Life of the San Juan Ridge. Partnering with the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, the Twin Ridges Elementary School District, and the San Juan Ridge Indigenous Studies Center, Maria led youths through a series of arts education projects. The theme throughout the projects was plants used by the Maidu people, natives to the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Maidu botany experts led field studies, teaching the young learners about the plants and their uses. During the field studies the youths made drawings of the plants, then later paintings, and finally a patch quilt that pictured the plants. The project was a great success, and as pictured above, the work has already started.

JE: Tell us about where you're going.

MR: I am working primarily with the Batwa; a tribe native to Southwest Uganda who were evicted from their traditional home the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the 1990s when it became a world heritage site. They now live on a number of relatively infertile and undeveloped settlements established for them by the World Bank and the Church of Uganda after their relocation.

The atmosphere surrounding foreign aid is political and can be very delicate. It's important to be very aware when entering a community as a stranger. Establishing trusting relationships is key in order to communicate and collaborate. 

JE: Who are you working with and how did you get connected to the project?

MR: The opportunity arose though Back to Uganda Rotary 3H grant directors Sol Henson and Tor Erickson. The grant funds sanitation, clean water and goat rearing projects. I heard about these projects from a friend and contacted Tor Erickson, assistant program director for the grant to discuss the sustainability of his building methods and the level of involvement the communities were allowed in the design and building process.

After our first meeting he invited me to join the team. It took me a while to accept the invitation because I wanted to make sure I had something to offer the project. After a few months of research and weekly meetings to discuss the complicated history, culture, and political atmosphere surrounding the work, I became too intrigued to say no. In addition, I had been looking for an opportunity to work on some simple design concepts in a developing community.

JE:  And can you tell us a little about the projects you'll be working on?

MR: My most prominent goal is to engage the communities that are receiving aid, which means I’ll be supporting them to lead the process of development. We've come up with some really wonderful and creative ways to work with the communities, including these projects:

• Working with a group of women to design their own woman’s center. This will include a focus on the creek that runs through the property as a meeting place

• Designing a spring box and washing station for a village

• Establishing a local think tank to generate solutions for the problems my community faces in California. This is a conceptual project that intrinsically highlights the inappropriate aspects of need-based aid. This project is in collaboration with Ghana Think Tank and Christopher Robbins

JE: Have you been focused on socially engaged work since you graduated CCA? 

MR: Yes, I'm involved with a handful of community organizations and continue to work with local artists on public works. I have found that socially engaged work produces a healthy environment and a thriving community.

JE: Did your experiences from Quilting the Indigenous Plant Life of the Sierra Foothills, the Center Student Grant–funded project in 2004, help prepare you for the type of work you'll be doing in Africa? How have your experiences with the Center and CCA helped to shape your work? 

MR: Those projects led me to understand the strength a project gains through collaboration. This understanding came in large part from working with various factions of the San Juan Ridge community. Including the viewpoints of those various factions to accomplish a common goal, enhanced my appreciation of a community.

JE: Tell us about how you are preparing for the trip and the project. 

MR: I’ve done a lot of research and networking with different organizations, including linking the Rotary grant to a college teaching community-led development out of Nova Scotia, Canada, called the Coady Institute. I also compiled a primer for volunteers on the project, which included some asset-mapping exercises, communication tools and relevant background material. The work that went into helping prepare the volunteers for their trip has been a wonderful foundation for me as well. Finally, by fate or coincidence I feel prepared to move to rural Africa because I adore living a simple life.

JE: Do you foresee any specific obstacles, or challenges? 

MR: I am sure these projects will be challenging, most likely reveal a new and unforeseen obstacle at every turn. I expect the work to be challenging, virile, cerebral, and lively.

JE: What are you most excited about for this upcoming project? 

MR: I am very exited to meet new people and be inspired by their ideas and to learn about their strengths. Most of all I am looking forward to being of service.

JE: Thanks, Maria, and safe travels!

MR: Best to you, Jason. 

Look for a future interview between Maria and Jason about her projects upon her return.