2022 RALPH RAPSON TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN


RESILIENT COMMUNITY & ARCHITECTURE
CELEBRATING IDENTITY
BLANK SPACE COMMUNITY LED THEATER
CHALLENGING PERSPECTIVES

NOTHING REALLY MATTERS
EVERYTHING MATTERS

This building is not a building, but an idea.

If political echo chambers in social media, reality tv, and political pundit media created a “post-truth era” then the only way to combat this is with communal social interaction. The widening gap between political parties allows for the politicization of things that should be universally shared ideas – that we are all human, that we all deserve freedom, we all deserve healthcare, we all deserve shelter, and we all deserve dignity and respect from our fellow human.

Theater is a mode of entertainment that can also shine a light on disparities and hypocrisy with our social systems. This building will provide a space for theatrical performance, community events, public art, social gatherings, and more, and it should be led and curated by the community. The space and design of the space itself is somewhat inconsequential, what is more important is that it allows for the sharing of stories that showcase themes that highlight our similarities as people, as well as the differences in culture and experience that make us all unique.


Joe Mollen, 2020 | Minneapolis, MN