Janice Mirikitani Poetry Machine 

"I want to tell you,

Remember the stories we write

We are rekindled by the breath of memory" - Janice Mirikitani 

Former incarceree of the Rohwer, Arizona concentration camp, San Francisco’s poet laureate, and culture bearer Janice Mirikitani offered up words of wisdom through her writings, poetry, and activism, sharing her love of all neighbors, particularly those who experienced generational poverty and marginalized experiences.

We embody her legacy of allyship with the Black power movement and the marginalized in Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco through this interactive wisdom-keeper poetry machine.

Designed in collaboration with Yayoi Kambara, Courtney Ozaki, Paul Cottongim, and the family of Janice Mirikitani. Original card artwork by Shirley Su. Janice’s recordings captured by Miles Lassi at Skyline Studios. Built by Characters Unlimited, and based off of an original prototype by students from Design Bloc at Georgia Institute of Technology Spring 2022. Special thanks to Janice’s daughter Tianne Feliciano, Betty Wong, and Thomas Walsh for their support.

NI DO TO installations will be free and open to the public in the lobby of the Ferst Center for the Arts on the Georgia Tech campus.

Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., from Oct. 3 through Oct. 27 (closed Oct. 21 for home football game).

Photos, videos, and illustrations courtesy of the artist, project collaborators, and Georgia Tech Arts.