About.

Relay of Voices, a project of 501c3 nonprofit A House Unbuilt (AHU), was a durational performance and research expedition that traveled down the Mississippi River Trail with the goal of gathering “voices” from the landscape and individual residents of the river region. The effort was shaped by a theory of “movement research” which uses the body as the empathetic center for listening and understanding, and it sought to learn about how people live with water and the natural resources that surround it. Cultural data and geographic narratives were gathered for future use by scientists, artists and policy makers.

Background

Relay was spearheaded by artist, athlete, and Louisiana native, Victoria Bradford Styrbicki, who was working to connect the voices of river communities by traveling the 2,400 miles of the river at the human scale with the assistance of a “relay team” made up of support staff and regional volunteers.

A primary reason for choosing the Mississippi River region was the dichotomy of rural and urban communities there, with many of them still making a living off the water and land. The river is home to a collection of small towns ranging between 200 and 60,000 in population anchored by 7 cities with populations over 100,000, serving as beacons of culture and urbanity along the water way.

Collaborators on the project include Styrbicki’s husband Tom Styrbicki (who also made the journey), certified triathlon coach Nic King-Ruley, and project manager Dinah Bradford, as well as countless members from river communities.

Logistics

A major component of Relay was daily interactions to gather the voices of each community. The Styrbicki’s immersed themselves in one-on-one exchanges with local residents in each town where they arrived by documenting daily gestures, movements, actions, rhythms, rituals and behaviors through what is referred to as “whole body listening.” Through this empathetic listening process, they gathered the unique stories of the individual participants through both words and movement shared through the interaction experience.

Relay “interactions” involve:

  • a two- to three-hour time investment; spent at work, leisure, everyday life
  • the Styrbicki’s as “participant observers”—observing, participating when possible, and engaging in conversation when not disruptive
  • the Styrbicki’s will ask a few, specific questions but mostly seek to hear unguarded thoughts about anything the interview subject chooses to share

After the collection of stories are gathered in one place, the Styrbicki’s will traverse the landscape to the next community to share the voices already gathered, connecting one community with the next. The larger relay team consists of regional volunteers serving as surrogate walkers, runners, cyclists or paddlers. When no regional volunteers step in to carry the voices downriver, the Styrbicki’s will approach the distance as a relay duathlon—a run out of town, cycling the longer stretch between, followed by a run into the next town. Many communities also organized a group run in or out of town with Relay while others waited and offered a welcome in town.

While each community engagement only lasted a day, this interaction and relay practice left a significant impression as person-to-person encounters accumulate in the body as well as in the data, building into a connective landscape with others along the river.

Locations

Relay of Voices will begin from the Headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca, Minnesota on July 9, 2019. Each day we will travel approximately 20-40 miles to reach the next location, sending us to 104 communities along the way downriver.

Locations where we’ll stop, listen and engage:

0.0 mi • Tuesday, July 9, 2019 • Mississippi Headwaters

1.9 mi • Wednesday, July 10, 2019 • Itasca Biological Field Station

33.8 mi • Thursday, July 11, 2019 • Bemidji, MN

24.4 mi • Friday, July 12, 2019 • Cass Lake, MN

20.3 mi • Saturday, July 13, 2019 • Bena, MN

27.1 mi • Sunday, July 14, 2019 • Deer River, MN

23.1 mi • Monday, July 15, 2019 • Grand Rapids, MN

21.1 mi • Wednesday, July 17, 2019 • Jacobson, MN

23.3 mi • Thursday, July 18, 2019 • Palisade, MN

6.6 mi • Friday, July 19, 2019 • Long Lake Conservation Center, MN

27.0 mi • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Aitkin, MN

19.5 mi • Sunday, July 21, 2019 • Crosby, MN

29.7 mi • Monday, July 22, 2019 • Brainerd, MN

32.1 mi • Tuesday, July 23, 2019 • Little Falls, MN

22.2 mi • Thursday, July 25, 2019 • Rice, MN

17.1 mi • Friday, July 26, 2019 • St. Cloud, MN

29.3 mi • Saturday, July 27, 2019 • Monticello, MN

13.0 mi • Sunday, July 28, 2019 • Elk River, MN

31.4 mi • Monday, July 29, 2019 • Minneapolis, MN

14.3 mi • Tuesday, July 30, 2019 • Saint Paul, MN

31.8 mi • Wednesday, July 31, 2019 • Prescott, WI

21.0 mi • Wednesday, July 31, 2019 • Prairie Island Indian Community, MN

18.9 mi • Thursday, August 1, 2019 • Bay City, WI

20.9 mi • Friday, August 2, 2019 • Pepin, WI

19.1 mi • Saturday, August 3, 2019 • Alma, WI

26.6 mi • Sunday, August 4, 2019 • Winona, MN

14.9 mi • Monday, August 5, 2019 • Trempealeau, WI

20.3 mi • Tuesday, August 6, 2019 • La Crosse, WI

34.5 mi • Wednesday, August 7, 2019 • Lansing, IA

13.8 mi • Thursday, August 8, 2019 • Harpers Ferry, IA

34.9 mi • Friday, August 9, 2019 • Guttenberg, IA

14.5 mi • Sunday, August 11, 2019 • North Buena Vista, IA

25.1 mi • Monday, August 12, 2019 • Dubuque, IA

27.3 mi • Tuesday, August 13, 2019 • Bellevue, IA

21.1 mi • Wednesday, August 14, 2019 • Sabula, IA

18.4 mi • Thursday, August 15, 2019 • Clinton, IA

25.6 mi • Friday, August 16, 2019 • LeClaire, IA

18.9 mi • Saturday, August 17, 2019 • Quad Cities, IL/IA

26.6 mi • Sunday, August 18, 2019 • Muscatine, IA

27.6 mi • Monday, August 19, 2019 • Oakville, IA

21.6 mi • Tuesday, August 20, 2019 • Burlington, IA

37.6 mi • Thursday, August 22, 2019 • Nauvoo, IL

17.5 mi • Saturday, August 24, 2019 • Warsaw, IL

31.7 mi • Sunday, August 25, 2019 • Quincy, IL

21.2 mi • Monday, August 26, 2019 • Hannibal, MO

33.1 mi • Wednesday, August 28, 2018 • Louisiana/Clarksville, MO

26.2 mi • Thursday, August 29, 2019 • Elsberry, MO

12.8 mi • Friday, August 30, 2019 • Winfield, MO

32.9 mi • Saturday, August 31, 2019 • St. Charles, MO

39.9 mi • Sunday, September 1, 2019 • St. Louis, MO

27.0 mi • Monday, September 2, 2019 • East St. Louis, IL

47.0 mi • Tuesday, September 3, 2019 • Prairie du Roche, IL

9.2 mi • Thursday, September 5, 2019 • Ste. Genevieve, MO

23.2 mi • Saturday, September 7, 2019 • Chester, IL

35.1 mi • Sunday, September 8, 2019 • Grand Tower/Anna, IL

32.4 mi • Monday, September 9, 2019 • Cape Girardeau, MO

9.3 mi • Tuesday, September 10, 2019 • Thebes, IL

25.4 mi • Wednesday, September 11, 2019 • Cairo, IL

8.5 mi • Thursday, September 12, 2019 • Wickliffe, KY

19.9 mi • Friday, September 13, 2019 • Columbus, KY

29.0 mi • Saturday, September 14, 2019 • Hickman, KY

25.1 mi • Sunday, September 15, 2019 • Tiptonville, TN

14.9 mi • Monday, September 16, 2019 • Ridgely, TN

41.6 mi • Tuesday, September 17, 2019 • Ripley, TN

23.7 mi • Wednesday, September 18, 2019 • Fort Pillow State Park, TN

29.7 mi • Thursday, September 19, 2019 • Covington, TN

16.1 mi • Friday, September 20, 2019 • Randolph, TN

36.1 mi • Saturday, September 21, 2019 • Memphis, TN

10.0 mi • Sunday, September 22, 2019 • West Memphis, AR

17.5 mi • Tuesday, September 24, 2019 • Anthonyville, AR

25.0 mi • Wednesday, September 25, 2019 • Hughes/Horseshoe Lake, AR

22.3 mi • Thursday, September 26, 2019 • Marianna, AR

26.6 mi • Friday, September 27, 2019 • Helena-West Helena, AR

31.3 mi • Sunday, September 29, 2019 • Clarksdale, MS

25.3 mi • Monday, September 30, 2019 • Deeson, MS

16.1 mi • Tuesday, October 1, 2019 • Rosedale, MS

22.3 mi • Wednesday, October 2, 2019 • Scott, MS

15.6 mi • Thursday, October 3, 2019 • Greenville, MS

28.2 mi • Saturday, October 5, 2019 • Eudora, AR

24.8 mi • Sunday, October 6, 2019 • Lake Providence, LA

28.6 mi • Monday, October 7, 2019 • Tallulah, LA

21.7 mi • Tuesday, October 8, 2019 • Vicksburg, MS

41.3 mi • Wednesday, October 9, 2019 • Port Gibson, MS

24.3 mi • Thursday, October 10, 2019 • Church Hill/Fayette, MS

22.0 mi • Friday, October 11, 2019 • Natchez, MS

2.9 mi • Sunday, October 13, 2019 • Vidalia, LA

36.4 mi • Monday, October 14, 2019 • Black Hawk, LA

39.0 mi • Tuesday, October 15, 2019 • Morganza, LA

14.3 mi • Wednesday, October 16, 2019 • New Roads, LA

18.2 mi • Thursday, October 17, 2019 • St. Francisville, LA

24.1 mi • Friday, October 18, 2019 • Baton Rouge (Red Stick), LA

10.0 mi • Saturday, October 19, 2019 • Baton Rouge (LSU), LA

24.4 mi • Monday, October 21, 2019 • St. Gabriel, LA

40.9 mi • Tuesday, October 22, 2019 • Convent, LA

25.6 mi • Wednesday, October 23, 2019 • Reserve, LA

6.0 mi • Thursday, October 24, 2019 • Norco, LA

14.4 mi • Friday, October 25, 2019 • Kenner, LA

12.2 mi • Sunday, October 27, 2019 • New Orleans (Audubon), LA

7.8 mi • Sunday, October 28, 2019 • New Orleans (NOCCA), LA

9.9 mi • Tuesday, October 29, 2019 • Violet, LA

10.6 mi • Wednesday, October 30, 2019 • Belle Chasse, LA

14.3 mi • Thursday, October 31, 2019 • Carlisle, LA

13.5 mi • Friday, November 1, 2019 • Pointe a La Hache, LA

9.5 mi • Saturday, November 2, 2019 • West Pointe a La Hache/Port Sulphur, LA

20.5 mi • Sunday, November 3, 2019 • Buras, LA

9.6 mi • Monday, November 4, 2019 • Boothville/Venice, LA

1.7 mi • Tuesday, November 5, 2019 • The Mouth of the River, LA

Partners

Relay partnered with 29 Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs),19 Chambers of Commerce, 30 arts, culture and educational organizations, 45 city and county governments, as well as hundreds of individual volunteers local to each community to solidify programming and to assist with accommodation, transportation, event space and nourishment to support the expedition as it traveled south. Through partnerships with organizations like The Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC), the Mississippi River Network (MRN) and The Water Institute of the Gulf, A House Unbuilt connected with each of the 104 communities in a distinct way, accessing their cultural touchstones, and adapting its special technique of movement and storytelling to any venue or audience.

Relay is working with the Mississippi River Network, its 56 member organizations, and their 20,000 River Citizens throughout the ten states to listen deeply to the issues facing land, water, wildlife and people up and down the Mississippi River.

1 Mississippi is supported by the Mississippi River Network (MRN) to encourage River Citizens through education, inspiration, and opportunities to embrace the Mississippi River.

The goal of the Network is to protect the land, water and people of the United States’ greatest River. Founded in 2005, the Network has grown into a diverse coalition of 57 nonprofit organizations and businesses from the River’s headwaters in Minnesota, to where it drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Network members share resources, implement whole River strategies, and support the 1 Mississippi national campaign.

The Network focuses on three priority issues that need River-wide cooperation:

  • Establish a national commitment to protect and restore the Mississippi River through increased public awareness and support.
    Promote Farm Bill Conservation Practices throughout the Mississippi River Basin.
    Encourage reliance on natural infrastructure and restoration of wetlands and flood plains.

Relay has cultivated a marketing partnership with the Mississippi River Parkway Commission in an effort to spread the voices of the river to a broader audience and bring more people to visit the river region.

The Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC) is a multi-state organization that was established in 1938 to work collectively to preserve, promote, and enhance the scenic, historic, and recreational resources of the Mississippi River. The MRPC works to foster economic growth in the corridor and develop the national, scenic and historic parkway known as the Great River Road. In 2018, the MRPC celebrated its 80th Anniversary. For decades, the volunteers of the MRPC have coordinated efforts on federal, state, and local levels to leverage millions of dollars for highway improvements, recreation trails, bikeways, scenic overlooks, and historic preservation. The MRPC works collaboratively with Mississippi River Country, USA to coordinate both domestic and international marketing for the river valley, and facilitates efforts to enhance economic development and resource awareness.

Relay is collaborating with the Water Institute of the Gulf to bring together art and science throughout this expedition. With sophisticated GPS body cameras worn each day, Relay will gather landscape data as well as cultural data located in each town and city. This data will be mapped and compiled into a book to reveal the vocabulary of the River region, providing a valuable resource for scientists, artists, policy makers, and the general public.

The Water Institute is a not-for-profit, independent applied research and technical services institution with a mission to help coastal and deltaic communities thoughtfully prepare for an uncertain future. Through an integrated and inter-disciplinary approach, their work helps to create more resilient communities, thriving economies, and a healthy environment.

Team

Victoria Bradford Styrbicki

Victoria Bradford Styrbicki, Director, is an artist and cultural producer working across the lines of public art, dance, social practice and installation. Bradford currently works as Executive and Artistic Director of A House Unbuilt, a nonprofit organization focused on movement research. She refers to the work she does there as “social choreography,” moving people both physically and conceptually toward greater connectivity. This work relies on collaboration from other artists as well as research institutes, environmental organizations, political organizations, arts organizations, governments and government agencies, individual citizens, and communities at large across the United States, particularly as witnessed in Relay of Voices. Bradford studied visual arts, anthropology, and theology at the University of Notre Dame (BFA) and visual arts and performance and at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA). MORE

Tom Styrbicki

Tom Styrbicki, Relay Collaborator, is a bridge engineer, runner, bicyclist and Minnesota native. Styrbicki serves as the State Design Engineer at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and in this role he supports and encourages the movement of people in every way (motorized and non-motorized) that fulfill their lives. In addition to being a licensed professional engineer with a BA in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado, BS in Civil Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and MS in Structural Engineering from the University of Nebraska, Styrbicki has competed in 20 marathons, 30 relays, and 15 triathlons.

Nic King-Ruley

Nic Ruley, Relay Coach, is a performance artist, educator and coach living and working as a freelance scholar and coach in Chicago. His body of work encompasses the politicization and performativity of contemporary identity, with his current research focusing on the overlapping strategies involved in steering the performance of athletes and actors. Since 2014, he has coached over 200 runners and triathletes to the finish line. Ruley received a BA in Dance/Theater from Antioch College and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts & Media Theory from Columbia College Chicago. He is a USAT certified triathlon coach and a USMS certified masters swim instructor.

Dinah Bradford

Dinah Bradford, Relay Project Manager, is a community volunteer based in Lake Charles, Louisiana where she serves on the board of the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana. As a long-time supporter of Louisiana State University, she currently serves as a member of the College of Human Science and Education’s Peabody Society Board of Directors. As a former Principal of Immaculate Conception Cathedral School as well as past president of the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc., she continues her involvement with these organizations serving on advisory committees when called upon.