A Story that Needs to Be Told

Artist Vinnie Bagwellʼs vision for the Enslaved Africansʼ Rain Garden is focused on remembering the lives, the feelings, and the legacy of men, women, and children who were stripped of their human rights. Her candid images of daily life, rendered in the vernacular of bronze sculpture, are a testament to the resounding triumph of the human spirit.

About Vinnie Bagwell

Vinnie Bagwell has always been an agent for social, educational, and economic growth in her community via the arts. She is a powerful storyteller for the African diaspora who incorporates the story in a finely-tuned, visual portrayal of historical events.

Civic Engagement & Support

Public forums, exhibitions, artists talks, and social media, enable viewers to learn about local history and the process of creating art for public places.

Calendar of Events

Temporary EARG exhibition of “I’Satta” and “Themba the Boatman” in Yonkers Riverfront Library through 2019.

Yonkers Riverfront Library
1 Larkin Plaza, Yonkers, New York
Free to the Public

Artist Vinnie Bagwell displays the first two-of-five life-sized bronze sculptures for the Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden, which will be on exhibition at the library until permanent installation in 2019.

The Art and the Artist

Project Overview

Working with community members, our mission is to fully honor, dignify and restore the humanity of enslaved Africans in America by transforming them from objects to subjects via art in a public place in Yonkers, New York.

Artist’s Interview

Yonkers Voice spent some time with National/Local Artist, Vinnie Bagwell. We met Vinnie at an exposé at the Yonkers Public Library and she invited Yonkers Voice into her studio to learn about her process from beginning to end.

Themba the Boatman

The short film, “Themba the Boatman”, opens the sound of West-African drumming by Leonard Epps. Spoken-word artist, Ty Gray-EL, and photographer Leslie Jean-Bart’s abstract images of human reflections captured in water at the beach move the story with haunting and stunning beauty. The film was funded by ArtsWestchester

Enslaved Africans Rain Garden

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