Sira Marissa Lewis

Visual Description: A large silver painted telephone booth with graffiti paint is freestanding in the space. A phone and iPad have been integrated into the booth. The booth includes the prompt “I Felt Most Connected When…”  where the user can record their own response which will then be added to a larger archive created by the artist.

Curatorial Description: Sira Marrisa Lewis’s A MESSAGE FROM HOME embodies the past, present, and future. Viewers are invited to step into this retro-futuristic telephone booth—complete with references to Lewis’s history of tagging in NYC and her current LINE SERIES painting practice—and respond to a prompt about connection. This interactive installation was created from the belief that connection is the cure for hopelessness. The booth serves as a vessel for future archival material and is inspired by Lewis’s work at NYPL’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. It offers a unique opportunity to reflect on and document experiences of connection in 2024, preserving them for future generations to ponder.

A MESSAGE FROM HOME was engineered with the help of artist and carpenter Odathrowback Festus.

To participate:
Step inside
Read the prompt
Pick up the phone
Press Record on the screen
Review your video message
Submit your video message

Your video will be sent to a private archive held by the artist. It may be used in future public projects. Participation in this interactive installation is voluntary. By participating in the recording prompt you agree to the consent and release posted on the recording website accessed inside the booth.

Visual Description: A film projected onto a wall depicts a fantastical representation of Harlem, New York. It Illustrates the storyline of a woman traversing its lush landscape. After a street preacher figure casts a spell on her, she transcends into an alternate fantastical world. As she traverses through lush green parks and the Harlem cityscape, she also meets a group of women who she connects with. 

Curatorial Description: EUPHONY explores connection and place through the artist’s identity as a Black American with West Indian roots. Shot exclusively in Harlem, where the artist was born and is based, the film draws the viewer into a moment of reverie as a harried commuter stumbles into a daydream.

Familiar concrete imagery and the hustle of Uptown streets fade to a slow and delicate dance of care. This dance, shared among friends, is set within the neighborhood’s green spaces. Instigated by the words of a street preacher, this shift in pace and perspective responds to the question, "What do you wonder when the music echoes within you?"

This question also indicates the video’s title; euphony is a literary term that refers to a pleasant sound, especially a harmonious succession of words combined to please the ear. Lewis extends this sense of aural pleasure by setting the film to an original score which she composed. Incorporating experimental jazz influences into her score, while also focusing her lens on the natural environment, signals the artist's interest in representing the full scope of Harlem's history and culture as she develops her own artistic voice within its rich lineage.

Visual Description: Black guitar XLR Chords hang from hooks in the ceiling, flowing organically on the wall and towards the ground.

About

Sira Marissa Lewis, a versatile artist, seamlessly blends music and visual art, with her creative expressions deeply rooted in her identity as a New York native with Black American and West Indian roots. Beginning her artistic journey with video creation, Lewis has passionately evolved to integrate various artistic mediums, directing music videos and short films, employing her spray-painting expertise for set design, and scoring both cinematic and personal projects. Her unique approach spans multiple artistic disciplines, driven by the primary objective of leaving an enduring mark on both the music and visual arts worlds. Recognized by notable platforms such as GIRLSINFILM, Teen Vogue, and GROWN MAG, Lewis' impactful contributions extend to completing an artist residency with MACRO, showcasing her talent in collage and video work. Selected for Birthright Africa's 2022 cohort led by artist Jidenna, she was celebrated for her artistic merit, entrepreneurial spirit, and connection to the diasporic legacy of innovation rooted in the continent. She is presently one of the chosen artists participating in the Bulleit Bourbon and Hypebeast “Pioneer Project,” dedicated to mentoring emerging artists. She’s also a SHIFT artist-in-residence, hosted by EFA Project Space in New York. Demonstrating dedication to her community, Lewis currently serves in Education Programming at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, making a positive impact on Harlem and beyond.