In Ernest

A Visual Archive Of Intergenerational Stories And Oral Histories Passed Down By Our Caribbean Grandparents

Artist & Photographer: Stefanie D. Belnavis

Romy and Steffie met at the 2023 Ujima Boston Assembly for Black Possibilities and connected over their Caribbean heritage and creative work. They were dreaming about ways to collaborate and Romy launched Art In The Antilles’ (AITA) Artist in Residency with Steffie as their first artist. The AITA AIR partnered with the Cultural Equity Incubator space to create and show work as well as program events for community building. As one of the few BIPOC spaces in the Fort Point/ Seaport neighborhood, CEI prides it self on creating a thriving creative eco system for our diverse communities in Boston.

The "In Ernest" Artist in Residence program, created by Stefanie D. Belnavis, BC-DMT, LMHC—a differently-abled Black and Indo-Jamaican American kinesthetic storyteller, photographer, therapist, and educator—is a heartfelt tribute to Caribbean Grandparents of the Diaspora and their vital roles as cultural historians and memory keepers. Inspired by her maternal grandfather, Ernest Mills, whose passion for documenting their families heritage through film photography and oral storytelling deeply influenced her creative path, this residency celebrates the transformative power of narrative healing and visual storytelling in preserving diasporic heritage. 

During this residency, Stefanie transformed the CEI space into a hub of cultural equity, employing film and digital photography, storytelling, community-led spatial justice activations and a collective memory archive wall to connect the past and present through stills and stories. These practices elevated intergenerational voices, particularly within Caribbean Diaspora communities, fostering connection, healing, and the preservation of cultural identity. 

March - May 2025