MEETING EMMANUEL ENRIQUEZ AND MARGARET SMITHERS-CRUMP

By Gianna Ligotino

Two of the foundational principles of DiverseWorks’ Project Freeway are to: 1)  develop new conversations and creative projects in spaces that are outside of a gallery space, such as neighborhood community centers and other non-art venues; and 2)  develop new community partnerships that will provide not only for future artists who receive the Project Freeway fellowship, but also to provide for those in the community who are in need. 

Through personal experience working as an intern on Project Freeway, I have found these two principles at the core of the project’s mission: fostering community and giving back to those who are often neglected. DiverseWorks as a team is in and of itself a wonderfully giving and empathic community that values the plights of others. That being said, it is because of their commitment to others that leaders like Emmanuel Enriquez at the Southwest Multi-Service Center seem more than willing to be their partner. 

Emmanuel Enriquez: Understanding the Gulfton Community

Emmanuel himself is a strong advocate for the community and provided ample insight into both his work with the Gulfton area and the larger communities needs. One of eleven  Multi-Service centers around the city, the Gulfton center, founded in 2007, is the busiest as the community is in desperate need of programming. Emmanuel and his team provide all numbers of services for the community that include, but are not limited to, financial assistance, food stamps, access to healthcare, daycare/summer camp programs, COVID vaccinations and testing, general insurance set up and more. The multi-service center is first and foremost a community center with programming for elders, a community garden that is maintained and harvested by the community, and the library that is open to the public. Arts and crafts programming, in non-COVID times, is led by elders in the community who volunteer their time to share and teach their skill to others; for instance, past programming has included jewelry making and knitting classes that are free for the whole community to partake in.

Learning about the services and the community from Emmanuel was very informative, but more importantly, inspiring as his passion for his work and his eagerness to share in his passion was simply refreshing. He shared his community’s passion for art as well and the immense benefit he could see in partnering with DiverseWorks to bring art directly to the people in his community, through utilizing shared space, like the multi-service center, and an artist with a Gulfton background. It is in discussion with Emmanuel and others like him that one can see the power and necessity of building a community of partners that share in the same mission to give unapologetically and with the best of intentions. 

An Unexpected Gem: Margaret Smithers-Crump

The same day as our meeting with Emmanuel, we were fortunate enough to have had the chance to meet local Gulfton artist, Margaret Smithers-Crump, who has been in the Gulfton area since 1998. Though she is fairly isolated in her studio, she is an example of the number of immigrants who live and work in the Gulfton area. Originally from Canada, Smithers-Crump’s work focuses on nature and the concept of nature as primary. In her work, she interacts with the idea of nature being both paternal and maternal, thus as a parent, but at the same time being our brother and sister. In this, she aims to highlight the detachment of man from nature in our current state, as we see nature as a lesser object rather than our equal. For Smithers-Crump, humans are of the land, but other elements of the earth or in nature are spiritual, and thus they deserve a certain respect that is not being granted. 

The medium of Smithers-Crump’s work is colored or painted Polycarbonate that she manipulates into natural, organic, sculptural forms. In the same way that Emmanuel is passionate for his immediate community, Smithers-Crump is passionate about the community of the earth and the implications of even the smallest malfeasance or lack of respect towards nature has on every individual and thus every community, whether it be local, national, international, or worldwide. Conclusively, one can say that through discussion with both Emmanuel and Margaret Smithers-Crump, it is most apparent the power of Project Freeway as it seeks to find those who cherish the chance to enact change and give back on every scale.

All Photos by Perata Bradley