Ryan's Artist Statement

Being a lover of food myself, I was excited to explore the traditions surrounding food and family within the Walnut Way Community. Obviously a single interview cannot begin to cover the vast traditions and roles food plays in the lives of the residents, but it was my hope to gain some insight into even a small piece of the traditions.

Upon deciding with Flora to work together on the final project, I contacted Nicole Lightwine. She was as happy to hear of our project as we were to have decided on it. Due to varying schedules there were many voicemails and returned phone calls before setting an interview time. However, through Nicole’s dedication and persistence and Denise Wooten’s generosity, we finally had our interview scheduled.

Flora and I had been working on and comparing interview questions for some time. By the time we met with Denise we were ready to go. I had never done an interview on camera before so this was a new and challenging experience. I was nervous, since I do not like to be on camera myself, but luckily Denise was overly cooperative and agreed to be filmed. All eyes were on her. This allowed me to relax, sit back, and enjoy Denise’s talented story telling.

It was apparent from Denise’s many smiles and enthusiasm that she was passionate about the subject at hand. This undoubtedly made our job easier. We basically got the ball rolling and Denise took it from there. Due to her candidness and fluidity as a speaker, we were able to absorb her words and enjoy our time with her. The video camera played a vital role in more ways than one—we were able to truly listen to her words instead of feverishly jotting down notes, and of course we had captured a moment in time that can be shared forever.

For me, the most interesting and memorable part of the whole experience was listening to Denise speak of her childhood and what dinnertime meant. It reminded me of when I was younger and how important and exciting it was for the whole family to be together, if only for a moment, to share something that we all loved. This was especially true at the holidays (both for me and Denise).

While not planned, the interview provided a bit of cultural history for me as well. Denise was talking about chitlins. I had always heard of chitlins but never really knew what they were. With a simple question, Denise went into full detail on the history, painstaking preparation, and tradition of chitlins. Not only did I enjoy myself, but I learned something as well.
The class collaboration was a unique and permanent document for many to use. I’ve never worked on an online project or blog. Considering that is was a completely uncharted territory for me, this was a bit of a challenge. Through patience and careful manipulation of the website, we were able to produce something that can be used years in the future. Also, growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and culture, I realized I was somewhat ignorant to the African American population and culture. The work Film 150 has done with the Walnut Way Corp. has enlightened me and opened my eyes to a culture and history that is literally right around the corner from where I currently reside. The experience has proved invaluable.