Demise ShroudS

Ongoing Projects and Explorations

Demise Shrouds extends my earlier series Demise of the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC). This ongoing work includes a 70-foot charcoal rubbing of the Margaret Burroughs Gallery floors—the heart of the Center and a site that has carried the footsteps of countless artists and community members since 1938. For me, the floor is more than a surface; it’s a record, a witness. Using muslin, graphite, and charcoal, I draw from the tradition of capturing tombstone engravings to reflect on loss, endurance, and transformation. The act of rubbing becomes both memorial and meditation—a way to trace what remains after something has been worn down or nearly erased. Demise Shrouds acknowledge the fragility and persistence of culturally specific institutions, honoring their histories while questioning what must be rebuilt, protected, or allowed to fade.