Melissa Sarris
Collections
The Collections project is an ongoing conversation with my community on what we collect, why, and how these themes can bring us together. I have deliberately left room for serendipity to build on and learn from. This project officially launched in February of 2013 with large photographic images on a local cafe wall. On the What do you..side collections of locals were depicted. On the ...Collect? side people coming into the cafe could write what they collect on a small slip of paper and add it to the “conversation.” After two months over 250 were added. Across the street, a local real estate office offered their window as a place for some of the collections to be on display with a little information about the collector. This space has been offered indefinitely and they even gave me a key!
In March of 2013 the Chatham Public library hosted an evening for collectors and the curious alike. The public got a chance to see many interesting collections and consider borrowing a selection from a collection, using the library system as our guide. Documentation of this project is now now available on view at the Chatham Public library - in the reference section.
It all started as a display at a local cafe called Ralph's.
The public was invited to write down what they collect and add it to the poster.
During an event at the public library the public could borrow a piece of a local collector's collection using the library borrowing system as a framework.
It all started as a display at a local cafe called Ralph's.