Description

Led by Atlanta-based artist Charmaine Minniefield, Praise House Project (PHP) is a powerful blend of public art, history, and community development. Through immersive, site-specific installations, the project uplifts African American narratives and confronts systemic erasure from the past and the future, tied to racism, development, and climate change.

Each Praise House is a small, wooden structure featuring an immersive digital projection of the Ring Shout —a spiritual, communal dance — created using archival and community-contributed materials. These installations serve as safe gathering spaces and storytelling hubs.

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Key features of the Praise House Project:

  • Uplifts Black histories and resists erasure through community-centered art
  • Creates immersive installations using sound, video, and historic archives
  • Encourages gathering and healing in temporary, sacred public spaces
  • Engages local communities in both the content and the location of each structure
  • Highlights the role of culture and memory in sustainable, resilient urban planning

Installations have appeared across Atlanta, including Emory University, Beacon Hill in Decatur, and South-View Cemetery.

Georgia Tech SCoRE supports PHP's efforts at the intersection of climate, community, and the built environment.

SCoRE/BBISS Lead

Jennifer Hirsch, Senior Director, SCoRE

Partnership History

SCoRE’s partnership with PHP began in 2022, when Charmaine Minniefield hosted our Asset-based Community Development Short Course at the Ring Shout mural that she painted in the Sweet Auburn Avenue Water Tower. Since then, PHP has been an ongoing partner in our summer internship program and has been an active member of our RCE Greater Atlanta network.

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Disciplines & Faculty

Combining art, history, and the built environment, this collaboration draws on expertise from multiple disciplines, including most notably the humanities, architecture, urban planning, and building construction.

Other Partners Involved

SCoRE has recruited a number of partners to support PHP’s work – and challenges – related to planning, zoning, construction, and transportation. Most notably, Lifecycle Building Center and ReGen Community Advisory have been providing crucial assistance.

Keywords

Art, African American history, remembrance, community development, climate change

Associated SDGs

4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities), 13 (Climate Action)