DURHAM, N.C. — One might think that the end of an art exhibit is a sad time for an artist. For Maya Freelon, however, the deinstallation is more fun than the instillation.

“The hard part is over and everybody's seen the work and enjoyed it, and there's actually like better energy in the art after it's been out and about. So I like deinstalling because it's stress-free,” Freelon said.

Freelon is a Triangle artist, who has had work shown all over the world, highlighted in magazines and books.

Her art revolves around tissue paper, using the medium in different shapes and structures. 

“They are kinetic sculptures, meaning that when you walk by them and the current of them, the air, they kind of wake up and move,” Freelon said.

Now, Freelon has a new project on her plate. Freelon was one of two artists recently awarded grants from the Library of Congress.

The grants go toward “remixing” current digital collections of the library.

Freelon’s collection is called, “Whippersnappers: Recapturing, Reviewing, and Reimagining the Lives of Enslaved Children in the United States.”

Throughout the process, she’ll take images from the digital collection and combine them with her artwork to create an interactive display.

The library says the project “will examine the ethics of photographing children from the early 1800s to today, simultaneously offering new ways to visualize and honor Black childhood.”

It’s the largest award Freelon has ever received, she says, and it’s a way to show the world that there are these digital collections at their fingertips.

It’s another exciting project for Freelon to take on, continuing to live her dream.

“Ever since I was a child, I've loved art, and I'm lucky to have it as my full-time job. Kind of surviving through COVID was probably one of the hardest things to do, but it also makes you more resilient, I would say,” Freelon said.