This Is a Map project

This Is a Map is a site-specific installation for the Torpedo Factory Art Center. The piece incorporates both the history of the Torpedo Factory and that of Alexandria as a whole. The city’s street names are a distinct, uniquely identifiable aspect of Old Town Alexandria, and have earned a special place in the hearts of its community members. Employing my signature method of knitting language using Morse code as a basis for a pattern, the work consists of Alexandria’s beloved and historic street names knit into a map of the city’s original layout, showing the progression of its footprint through color.

This Is a Map is a playful and abstract way to experience these familiar roads, the city’s growth, and the ways in which we send and receive information. Additionally, the incorporation of Morse code, a staple of maritime communication, recalls the Torpedo Factory’s original history with the U.S. Navy. Though the content is sourced from historical roots, this installation embodies the idea that each of our unique perspectives impacts that history, and everyone has a role in how our past is presented.