Andrea Ellen Reed is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

The Unsighted Project

Unsighted was initially created as an experimental short film in direct response to race riots in Baltimore, MD and Ferguson, MO - both the result of the deaths of unarmed black men in 2015. In the film, which exemplifies the evolution of my work into soundscapes and moving photography, I created a soundscape sourced from audio clips of pundits, civil rights activists, educators and newscasters to comment on how black people internalize a white supremacist culture. Unlike my previous works, I am the subject of Unsighted. I confront the viewer as I watch clips of riots on a computer screen. At first glance, this piece appears to be a self-portrait, but as the film continues, I become a representative of the black community - illustrating the slow, steady deterioration of a soul bludgeoned by circumstance.

Unsighted is intended to be viewed in a public space. With the help of two smaller grants, I am currently creating a portable outdoor installation setup to project the work on building facades in the communities across the US where racial tensions have overflowed (beginning with my hometown of Minneapolis).  Follow the journey here and watch the Unsighted video.