Along Lakeside Avenue in Downtown Cleveland between City Hall and the Cuyahoga County Courthouse, ten sculptures dot the sidewalk in front of Mall C. In the background, organizers set up for the annual Juneteenth Freedom Fest, taking place Saturday.
The sculptures are part of a national storytelling project, The Stories of Us, where local artists from several cities are invited to explore one of ten themes centered around the Black experience in the context of history, the present and the future.
The project originated in Detroit last year and has also made its way to New York City, New Orleans and now Cleveland.
“I think when you receive these stories, you realize that there's a connection between you and this person that you've never met, and you actually may have a much deeper connection because of our shared experiences and shared spaces,” said Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye, the project’s co-founder.
Adjaye, a native of California who now lives between Ghana and New York City, said the idea for The Stories of Us was built around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, happening in 2026.
“That idea of that opening phrase – ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ – that really is a core idea to the work that we're doing, but also to America,” Adjaye said. “As we take stock in 2026 and look at our past, our present, and our future, I think that document is something we can hold accountable and that we hold each other accountable to live up to.”
Lakewood-based artist Nathalie Bermudez created her work around the theme "A More Perfect Union," which explores movements that have worked toward creating a more equal America.
Bermudez's work "Whispers of Home" shares her experiences of having to leave her home in Cali, Colombia in 2015.
"Immigration comes with a lot of challenges and a lot of sacrifices," Bermudez said. "I didn't want to leave my country, I didn't want to leave my culture, I didn't want to leave my language, my music, you know, but I had to look forward for something better in other places."
Her work highlights things that immigrants bring to the U.S., including dance, culture, food and flowers.
"Especially the roses, because they are the most popular flower that is brought from Colombia to the United States," Bermudez said.
Cleveland artist and photographer Donald Black Jr. chose the theme "Ripples Across Generations" that illustrates the profound consequences of oppression and enslavement experienced by every generation in America, both past and present.
"It's children playing jail," Black said.
His image of three children playing on a fence contrasts the innocence of childhood with the mental and physical prisons Black says are created for him in America.
"I can sit here and pretend that I need to say all this sophisticated, profound stuff, but I feel like I've already said it in the work," Black said.
The other local artists featured are Alicia Vasquez, Alyssa Lizzini, Brandon Graves, Da'Shaunae Marisa, Gina Washington, Isaiah "Starbeing" Williams, Jerome White and Leigh Brooklyn.
The Stories of Us project comes to Cleveland in partnership with Bedrock, a real estate company that also focuses on creating thriving communities in both Cleveland and Detroit. Part of how the company does that, said vice president of operations and leasing Jason Russell, is by investing in the arts community.
"Each one of these pieces is really speaking to all the artists' stories and how they identify and how they come to be in this community," Russell said. "And it gives us an opportunity to not only to showcase that art, but everyone here in Northeast Ohio who's going to visit ... can see that and understand those stories and gather an appreciation for their art."
The sculptures will be on view by Mall C in Downtown Cleveland for the next month, then will move to Tower City to join the 10 sculptures from Detroit currently on view.
