The Nkisi Project

"The Nkisi Project Brings the Power of Community to Ice Cube Gallery",
by Susan Froyd in Westword.
Started by Sarah Rockett, Tammi Brazee, and Peter Yumi, this collaborative installation uses African Nkisi Nkondi statues as a point of departure.  The Nkisi statues record actions and resolutions, and can act as a guardian or avenger of the community when activated by a spiritual specialist with insertions (often nails, pegs, or blades).  The idea of recording community involvement and manifesting change is the main inspiration taken from Nkisi.  By creating our own power figure installation, our community, its hopes and actions, are manifested via the insertion of individually made ritual objects.  The main structure of the installation, built from wood and cinderblocks, houses a mass of objects made by over 60 different artists.  Artists were asked to create a form(s) that is representative of their perspective communities.  In addition, artists submitted a single sentence describing the resolution, action, or manifestation that they want the object to affect in their community.  It is our hope that The Nkisi Project continues to grow, evolve, and travel as a means for manifesting and connecting many creative communities.
 Participating Artists - 2016
Judy Anderson, CO
Fawn Atencio, CO
John Babcock, CO
Brandy Badley, CO
Regina Benson, CO
Breeanna Benton, CO
Tammi Brazee, CO
Lydia Brokaw, CO
Carol Browning, CO
Jen Burdess, CO
Jaime Carrejo, CO
Jessica Chickering,  MA
Tyler Christopherson, CO
Amber Cobb, CO
Patricia Coronel, CO
Nick Croghan, FL
Rachael Davis, CO
Amelia Eldridge, MD
Corrina Espinosa, CO
Suzanne Faris, CO
Sandra Fettingis, CO
Ashley Frazier, CO
Lauren Fueyo, CO
Wylie Garcia, TX
Ron Gerbrandt, CO
Sara Goldenberg-White, CO
Laura Grossett, CO
Bill Gusky,  CT
Kendall Harper, CO
Susan Hopp, CO
Anna Hultin , CO
Tressa Jones, MT
Lisa Von Koch, CO
Hayley Krichels, CO
Marius Lehene, CO
Aliza Lelah-Hackman, CO
Suchitra Mattai, CO
Dawn McFadden, CO
Laura Merage, CO
D.B. Michelle, CO
Liz Miller, MN
Laura Mongiovi, FL
Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, CO
Ian Paisley, CO
George Perez, CO
Dania Pettus, CO
Jennifer Pettus, CO
Farrell Preston, CO
Amy Reckley, CO
Veronica Reeves, OR
Kimberly Ritchie, NH
Sarah Rockett, CO
Regan Rosburg, CO
Stefani Rossi, WA
Ajean Ryan, CO
Doug Sink, CO
Mark Sink, CO
Michael F. Sperandeo, CO
Frankie Toan, CO
Genevieve Waller, CO
Ashley Williams, CO
Christy Wolfe, CO
Brandon Vargas, CO
Melissa Vogley Woods, OH
Peter Yumi, CO
Katy Zimmerman, CO