This summer, ECoCA is open to the public every Thursday evening from 5-8pm for open studios for our Artists-in-Residence as well as resident-driven programming. To start us off, Artist-in-Residence Dyme Ellis is hosting an artist’s studio warming to discuss their latest project, RECLAIMING PLACE.

RECLAIMING PLACE is an art project that focuses on the visual and emotional impact of seeing people of color, namely those of the LGBTQIA+ community, in spaces they are typically not welcome, uninvited, and therefore, unseen due to lack of comforting accommodations and and micro aggressive racism, homophobia, or transphobia, thus creating an uncomfortable and unwelcoming environment. Through photography, Dyme intends to disrupt this norm through the civil disobedience of existence, breath, and art. This project centers the experiences of Black women and self-identified femmes including queer men and nonbinary people. This includes, but is not limited to, a collection of photos and original poems of and by volunteer models and writers. If you are interested in modeling or volunteering some poetry, please contact Dyme at (203) 809-5841 or dymin.ellis@gmail.com