Sovereignty Market Place Her Story

Poetica Bey was enlisted in the Sovereignty Working Group while a member of Soil Generation.  Approached by Kirtrina Baxter of Grounded in Philly about the Philadelphia Art Museums Cities Civic Engagement Project, Philadelphia Assembled. (Poetica Served as the Statue of Poetry, A one women original performance art piece developed by Poetica in the City of Poetry developed in partnership with the  Phila Museum of art and Poet Laureate, Yolanda Wisher., prior to the partnership with Van Heswijk)

I recall one of the first meetings of a small group of 10 in Sovereignty. Food, markers and Flip charts. We began with the word itself. I realized why my husband who was very civic yet not quite fine art familar was asked to join the first meeting. There was very little understanding of the words meaning in a practical sense. My Husband was one of the only who could even interpret the word. 

I was supposed to be in Thailand at the time so it was discussed him taking my place. Yet when travel plans were changed. We both attended the meeting. Our input was present from the day it was decided what sovereignty meant. As we were enlisted to explain and workshop it's key elements in a workshop to teach the teachers entitled Moorish Sovereignty 101.

"MarketPlace" "Festival" were words I shouted out to be written down on our flip chart which was saved and turned into the art itself, like equations to see how it all added up. This frequent regular meeting became the exhibition. I made those specific suggestions because I knew I wanted to see it happen. Little would I know that it would turn out to be a major part of the cities exhibit.

Market places meant sovereignty to my family and my father who found freedom in being his own boss. festivals as a source of sovereign economics became my way to connect before the internet. Traveling from Festival to festival with product worth it's weight in gold, My Voice. 

Doc Stewarts Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner was my Daddies Gold, he was a demonstration sales man you could hear him before you could see him and you would smile before you would frown. He always gave you an offer you couldn't refuse with a smile truly Golden. I get my charm and grin from him. My mother recalls his velvet voice being heard over the department store intercom of the Lit Brothers, In Philadelphia prior to meeting and birthing me.  

 

 

A Puppeteer, Comedian and Visual Artist, Paul Stewart / Paul Nicholson after taking his stepfathers name, Doc Stewart was responsible for the art that was the "Shoe Giant" Which adorned the Lancaster Avenue Sneaker Store to the popularity of the opening scene of "Trading Places" an 80's Eddie Murphy film. He was a pitchman in the forming stages of casino development in Atlantic City and las Vegas. Paul became a boardwalk auctioneer, formulated the elements of timeshare and created a winning cleaning formula that drove his "As Seen on tv" demonstration sales shop in pennsauken nj and became his number one selling product. Doc was also a bass player and songwriter with childhood comrad, James Soloman. His Joy was the creation of the Dr. Cupcakes Marionette Theater where he hand crafted and hand strung the marionettes in an array of characters to present stories for children of all ages.