I WAS HERE INC

The I Was Here Project produces large-scale public art installations called Ancestor Spirit Portraits, designed to acknowledge the unrecognized Nation Builders whose labor helped build the United States. These installations transform public spaces into sites of historical reflection and civic dialogue. The program activates civic environments including museums, downtown districts, universities, and cultural institutions through large-scale printed installations, projection mapping, and immersive technology. Installations have appeared in locations such as Lexington, Kentucky; Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Broward County, Florida. Notable installations include a large-scale digital projection at One World Trade Center, presented with NYCxDesign and MadLabs Studios, where the portraits rose over 200 feet on the building facade overlooking Lower Manhattan. The program has created a growing network of installation sites and public spaces dedicated to acknowledging the contributions of Nation Builders. The installations restore visibility to historically overlooked contributors to American history while activating public dialogue about ancestry, identity, and civic belonging. I Was Here also runs the Nation Builder Workshops which are immersive educational programs that invite participants to explore ancestry, identity, and civic leadership through storytelling and creative reflection. Participants are guided through a structured process in which they examine the concept of Nation Builders and develop personal narratives about their own relationship to history, identity, and community. These workshops address what the project identifies as Narrative Debt-the absence of historically accurate representation in public memory-and encourage participants to see themselves as contributors to civic life. Workshops are conducted with youth, universities, and community organizations including Operation Be You and educational institutions across Kentucky and Florida. Participants develop personal narratives centered on ancestry and civic identity, building confidence, literacy skills, and civic engagement. Public presentations of these narratives often accompany installations and community ceremonies. The I Was Here Project hosts public events, exhibitions, and community dialogues designed to engage residents, scholars, artists, and civic leaders in discussions about history, ancestry, and shared identity. These programs include: community exhibition openings, civic presentations, public storytelling events, and cultural dialogues tied to installations. Events have been hosted in collaboration with partners including LexArts, VisitLEX, and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. These programs foster community dialogue about historical memory while building connections between residents, cultural institutions, and civic leadership. I Was Here Nationwide is the project's expanding framework designed to bring the program's public art, educational workshops, and immersive technologies to cities across the United States. Through partnerships with artists, cultural institutions, and technology collaborators such as MadLabs Studios, the initiative integrates: large-scale portrait installations, immersive projection environments, holographic storytelling technology, and youth-led narrative workshops, This framework allows cities and institutions to adopt the model as cultural infrastructure, transforming public spaces into living archives of community memory and civic dialogue. The program creates new cultural assets for cities while encouraging civic literacy, cross-cultural dialogue, and community engagement around shared history. Across its programs, the I Was Here Project combines public art, immersive technology, and community storytelling to address gaps in public historical representation. By acknowledging the contributions of Nation Builders and inviting communities to explore ancestry and civic identity, the organization strengthens cultural memory and public dialogue. In 2025, I was Here has had 247 workshop participants, and 456 individuals served in Fayette County workshops, including 412 youth through programs delivered in schools, community centers, and cultural institutions. There were 88 installation sites created, 1,094,213 audience views over installations across multiple cities and cultural institutions and international public art recognition including a CODAworx award.