As part of Givens Swims, artists Cindy Elizabeth and Ernesto Hernandez created temporary installations at Givens Pool. In collaboration with the Forklift Danceworks performances, their art work brought in additional community stories. Commissioned through the City of Austin Art in Public Places Program, this collaboration and creative research connects My Park, My Pool, My City to a permanent artistic work at the future renovated Givens Pool.
“I am a storyteller first, an artist second. As a storyteller, I am especially interested in exploring the concepts of culture, history, and balance. Through the art forms of photography and mixed media, my work focuses on bearing witness to the many ways culture manifests itself, the ways in which multiple black experiences intersect and inform one another’s cultures as well as the ways in which blackness continues to redefine culture in society at large. My installation erects images of members of the Givens community on flags, as a salute to the culture of East Austin and the overall culture of Austin. The flags stand as a representation of a community staking claim to its cultural landscape, its livelihood, and its wellbeing.”
—Cindy Elizabeth
The flag installation features Kurtiss “Mr. Oowee” Colvin, Sr.; Cordell Hopes; Yuree McKoy; Erika “Tiki Boss” Taylor; and Kathy Wright.
Images by Cindy Elizabeth
