A new art exhibit in Durham celebrates hundreds of volunteers and the 155,000 people they fed during the pandemic.
In 2020, when COVID-19 was spreading fast, Katina Parker could see how many people were suffering in her community.
“I live in East Durham, it is a food desert,” said Parker. “I see a lot of physical health issues that are caused by malnutrition and poor nutrition.”
Parker was hurting too. The longtime filmmaker and photographer could no longer work her craft.
“Everything that I do stops because everything that I do requires travel. I was sitting at home,” said Parker.
Then, with encouragement from family, she started to cook. Parker founded Feed Durham to cook for the unhoused, for her friends and neighbors, whoever needed a meal. She almost bit off more than she could chew.
“At first it was going to be a couple of hundred people but it quickly grew to 1,000 people for that very first cookout,” laughed Parker. “We thought it would take us about two days, it took us about five!”
During the past three years, the cookouts got larger and larger. The free food initiative Feed Durham served as a model for programs in Atlanta, Richmond, Baltimore and Charlotte. The menu also grew, including tasty vegetarian dishes like beets tropical, sesame kale and smashed yams.
Parker says, in the beginning, she only had two trailer smokers, two griddles and no burners.
“I’m cooking 50 pounds of beans on my old electric stove that came from Sears and the stove is like barely able to handle the weight,” said Parker. “But we made it.”
Parker and a growing list of volunteers cooked and served food on an acre of land outside her home in East Durham. Today, the crew has six trailer smokers, four griddles, 10 burners, three wash stations and an extra-large refrigerator.
Parker and other creatives, including Dare Coulter, Saleem Reshemwala, Samantha Everette, Jade Wilson and others, documented this fascinating food journey. It is now part of an exhibit at the Durham Arts Council titled, “Lovingly Prepared by: A Multimedia Experience by Feed Durham.”
Margaret DeMott is director of artist services at the Durham Arts Council.
“The exhibit is such a cross-section of artistry and community activism,” said DeMott. “Food insecurity, everyone understands that. Everyone gets that.”
DeMott says patrons can expect an immersive art experience as soon as they approach the building.
“There is a smoker on the front lawn!”
Inside, the exhibit includes photographs, video and also a mini fridge, a dining room table and instructions on how to grow your own herb kits.
“Lovingly Prepared by” runs through September 1, 2023.
