Genius Loci, Nekisha Durrett took inspiration from the etymology of the word, meaning “spirit of a place.” Commissioned by the City of West Palm Beach’s Public Art Program, Durrett is to produce an artwork that symbolizes the character and “spirit” of a small neighborhood that once housed Sunset Lounge, the legendary “Cotton Club of the South.” As is her practice, Durrett plays with the balance of joy and sorrow, loss and celebration, truth and fiction of black history. She utilizes unexpected materials like charred wood and shiny copper to reference a passed-down folklore of a thriving, immigrant community called “the Styx” that was burned down to make way for more luxury homes in the turn of the 20th century. With Genius Loci, Durrett pays homage to the ancestral genius in music and creativity that this community has in the shape of a large, bright and shiny loudspeaker.  

Artist: Nekisha Durrett

Negative Space: Artist Representation and Public Art Project Management

Location: Heart and Soul Park, West Palm Beach, FL

Open to the Public December 1, 2023

Learn more at  https://www.wpb.org/our-city/artlife-wpb