Peace Officers

(2017-Present)

Projected video of community-generated ideas to uplift the neighborhood.

Artist: G. Riley Johndonnell (Uncle Riley)
Collaborators: Local Law Enforcement Officers

Editing: Aaron Weisblatt
Videography: Sarah Carlson
Projectionist & Technical Advisor: Kale Kaposhilin
Collaborators: Local Law Enforcement

The term ‘Peace Officer’ was once synonymous with ‘Police Officer’­­­­­— it is no longer listed as a synonym in most online dictionaries. This project attempts to reawaken this association through communication, connectivity and creativity.

The project is a slow-motion video of 20 Kingston Police Department officers symbolically making ‘peace dove’ gestures with their hands. The ‘doves’ are accompanied by the officers’ optimistic ideas for how to transform “troubled neighborhoods” in their city into brighter, more peaceful places. The officers’ hands were filmed against a round canvas painted with INTOyellow. The looping video is projected at night onto derelict buildings in the community.

Peace Officers first took place in Kingston, NY and was created with support from RUPCO.

Special Thanks to:
City of Kingston Police Department
Helmut Amann
Peter Criswell
Nina Dawson
Felix Olivier