Project Highlight: Underground Underwater

Underground Underwater is a project in collaboration with The Harriet Tubman Freedom Center located in Cambridge, MD. For this project, IAN is designing an exhibition highlighting the stories and sites of Harriet Tubman’s birth, enslavement, and eventual escape to freedom, and considering how these historic sites may have looked in her time, as well as how they look currently, and what they will look like in the future as climate change and sea level rise change the face of the landscape. This project is also looking to document certain historic sites through the production of digital twins in the case that these sites are heavily damaged by rising sea level, which has affected much of the coastal areas in Dorchester County. By weaving together the stories of Harriet Tubman’s resilience and contribution to American history, as well as the story of the changing climate, we hope to put together a compelling exhibit. By telling the story of the past, present, and future of various historical sites significant to Harriet Tubman’s life and legacy, the project team hopes that visitors walk away knowing that they too can impact the future the way that Harriet Tubman was able to, despite being one person.