Celebration of “Sentiimentu di Kabu Verde”
On August 1, 2025, we installed our first piece of collaborative art at The Douglas House, a triptych titled Sentiimentu di Kabu Verde, which translates from Cape Verdean Creole to The Feeling of Cape Verde.
The phrase “the feeling of Cape Verde” was our starting point back in April, chosen to honor the shared cultural heritage within our group. Many of the artists who contributed to this piece were born in Cape Verde or continue to travel back to visit family there, bringing their stories, memories, and colors into the work.
I’m deeply proud to have helped bring this collective vision to life. I invite you to watch the short video documenting the celebration — a joyful moment when artists, family, friends, and community members gathered to see the finished work installed in its home at The Douglas House, the very place where it was created.
From the video:
This was my first time giving a public talk with translators present, which was a gift — allowing me to speak freely and share ideas across languages. Over these months, I’ve picked up bits of Creole, both Cape Verdean and Haitian, and learned how powerful art can be as a universal language.
When I first visited the Douglas House last March, Kelly Seda, the Senior Resident Services Coordinator, showed me around — from the community room to the meditation space, gym, library, and craft room where we now gather for art class each week. She told me her vision: to fill the walls with art made by the residents themselves.
After that visit, I went back to my studio, put on a Cape Verdean playlist (linked here), and began sketching.
Making art as a team like this is a process I’ve been developing since studying at MassArt nearly 20 years ago. It’s rooted in a simple belief: everyone is creative, and therefore everyone can make art.
As artistic director, I bring my experience, skills, and vision — but these works could never exist without the many hands and hearts who shape them. On any given day, we might be priming, drawing, painting, or cutting collage materials. Between sessions, I reflect on the group’s contributions in my studio, studying what they’ve made, listening to our playlist, and letting those ideas guide the next steps.
Our first prompt was “What does home mean to you?” One of our resident artists, Janice, made a sketch that immediately clicked with my own. Her drawings — including one featuring three turtles — became the inspiration for Sentiimentu di Kabu Verde. The viewpoint is from one island, looking across the sea to another — filled with bright sea life, warm sunlight, and the sound of Cesária Évora softly playing in the distance.
The work expresses both joy and longing — a love for a beautiful homeplace, and the power of memory, music, and art to carry that home with us wherever we are.
Since beginning this project, I’ve learned about so many beloved places represented here — Cape Verde, Haiti, St. Croix, Puerto Rico, and of course, Brockton. This city is where I was born, and I’m deeply grateful to be here, surrounded by people from around the world who share their stories and cultures so openly.
We also have other works in progress, including Tap Tap Cab in Brockton, inspired by a sketch from Ruth, another resident artist. I reimagined her idea into a city scene with our neighbor Yvette as the cab driver — an entrepreneur, a boss, a symbol of independence and pride.
We’ve also collaborated with Brockton Elementary School students, creating greeting cards that will be used here at the Douglas House to welcome new residents and celebrate milestones.
Before we close, I invited everyone who has ever attended art class — even once — to sign the back of our signature panel. Because this is your work, and your names belong here.
Thank you all for creating, laughing, and layering with me. Let’s take a moment to reflect on what we’ve made together and celebrate this beautiful community.
