What is Here

In this project, I explore the complex relationship between civic debt and community identity in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I focus on the city’s efforts to revitalize 38 acres along Michigan Avenue - a venture called “Water Street” - that left residents with over $30 million in debt. Through months of archival research, attending public forums, and speaking with residents, running collage workshops, I created this collection of collages using materials from the archive. They examine how this financial burden shapes both our sense of self and our collective dreams for Ypsilanti. I’m interested in how debt influences the way we remember, argue, and aspire together. This work reflects my desire to understand what it means to be deeply tied to a place, by both choice and financial liability.