Declaration House is an exhibition and book project that centers Robert Hemings, an enslaved valet, in the interpretation of the Philadelphia site associated with Thomas Jefferson and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. By moving Hemings to the center of this story, the project asks, “What origins and outcomes of the story of the nation's founding could be made more visible here?” With lead artist Sonya Clark; curators Anna Arabindan-Kesson and Paul Farber; and five artists/historians in residence, the project will yield a 2024 public art installation, a book, and public programs with local cultural organizations and arts leaders that reframes what is and what is not self-evident about this revolutionary site across its history. 

Artist: Sonya Clark
Curators: Anna Arabindan-Kesson and Paul Farber
Partners: Independence National Historical Park, PhillyCam, and MING Media
Major support for Declaration House has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. 

Photo Credit: Sonya Clark, "Reversals," 2019. (Carlos Avendaño/Fabric Workshop and Museum)