Artist at Work x 4CPA | Sue Daly & Chandri Barat
Sewing a Path to Freedom
Sue Daly and Chandri Barat formed a special collaboration to create Sewing a Path to Freedom, the mural now on display at Treat Place in Downtown Newark. The design features a series of quilt patterns that were packed with secret codes to assist in escaped persons’ journey to freedom.
The work is an homage to The Underground Railroad and its talisman, Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery herself to become responsible for helping over 300 slaves escape to freedom in the North. Ms. Tubman came through Newark and was harbored in the underground passageways at the First Presbyterian Church on Broad Street. The A.M.E. Zion church was also noted for its Underground Railroad activity.
Sewing a Path to Freedom featured in Phase I of the Four Corners Public Arts (4CPA) project.
TRANSCRIPT
SUE: Chandri Barat and I met seven, eight years ago. We did the…
CHANDRI: “Support and Protect Our Children” mural that was painted for the Dalai Lama.
SUE: This one was brought to me by Chandri. They were looking for someone to do historical-type murals. It’s all about the quilts that were designed to help…
CHANDRI: People fleeing through the Underground Railroad. We wanted to include a portrait of Harriet Tubman because she was very much involved in the Underground Railroad right here in Newark. We want the children of Newark to understand that their city has a fabulous history, has a really important history. I think that’s important for the people that live here.
About Sue Daly & The Barat Foundation
Sue Daly is a muralist specializing in custom designs for mural production and also manages public artwork experiences engaging the public in the creation of large community projects for public display.
The Barat Foundation is a non-profit corporation based in Newark NJ. The foundation has works with children and families creating large scale public art projects throughout the city and beyond. The foundation also brings art making and professional artists to communities, that are often excluded from the art world, and honors their collective vision in the public landscape.
See more of the Barat Foundation’s work here.
About Four Corners Public Arts
Four Corners Public Arts was initiated in 2019 through a public/private partnership convened to support public arts initiatives in Newark’s historic district “Four Corners”. The partnership includes The City of Newark, Invest Newark, Newark Arts, Newark Downtown District, Paramount Assets, and RBH Group. The partnership evolved out of a common interest to give care to under-acknowledged areas of the City through the arts, with the goal of cultivating creative communal space for everyone. At a time when Newark is undergoing a marked transformation, the partnership believes it is imperative to create opportunities that strengthen the local creative community.
This story was supported, in part, by a Newark Creative Catalyst grant.
Special thanks to The City of Newark, New Jersey.
Artist at Work
Close up profiles of superb artists, featuring their inspirations, goals, processes, and more.
BRAVISSIMA | Arts and Music
Featuring stories and performances that celebrate artists, musicians, and creatives of all stripes.
