Making a Garden of Strange Fruit
Conversation Bank
Due to the historic nature of this installation, as well as its relevance to our community and its past, we have elected to collect the community’s responses to the exhibit and display them here. Please click here to give your own response, or come into the gallery to fill out a paper version during our open hours. We also hope to create a small documentary video regarding the exhibit: Please indicate if you would like to participate as an interviewee within the response form, or email us at kennedyartcenter@gmail.com. Thank you.
“I was impressed with the artist's ability to hold space for the community's past, present, and future in his work.”
- evan g.
“[I felt a] mixture of pain, but happiness the history is being acknowledged and memorialized.”
- april
“[I am] very interested in this concept as it is a very important thing that happened and needs to be shared. I believe it is spoken of too little, and pushed away. “
- anonymous
“I was excited. There are some groups that have worked to publicize and groups that are vehemently against it. I applaud the initiative.”
- anonymous
“I was extremely impressed, moved, and inspired by both the artists and their vision as well as the community members who were willing to share personal stories and thoughts. It was incredibly impactful and I've thought of it many, many times since attending the opening.“
- rachel b.
“I was excited to see that a permanent exhibit will be placed outside in the public. I think it would be beneficial to share the timeline and the story to educate our youth.“
- bailey r.
“I was hesitant to come because of the subject materials, but that’s an issue on my part. I knew of it and the history of Marion and that was part of why I was hesitant to come. [The topic] is spoken of too much, in the wrong way. History cannot be [illegible] or ignored.“
- anonymous.
“[I felt] excitement over community ownership of history and reconciliation opportunities.”
- anonymous
“When I was moving here, from out of state, I googled Marion and the photo of the lynching was the first thing that popped up…So heart wrenching.”
- Dori
“Black community still hurt. White community ashamed.”
- anonymous
“[My initial response to the exhibit was] Awe. I remember covering a KKK rally around the courthouse as a journalist. I was a journalist in the 1990s/2000s and recall how sensitive people were to our coverage.”
- anonymous
When asked if the topic of the lynching had been spoken of too much or too little, we received the following responses.
“Too little.”
WAY too little…”
77% said that the topic was spoken of too little, while 15% were unsure, and 8% believed it was spoken of too much.*
*This page is being continuously updated as responses come in. Numbers and data may change.
“Much too little!”
“Way too little.”
“Too Little.”
“Not enough.”
“Too much, in the wrong way.”
“Too little.”
“Spoken of too little.”