The Silver School of Social Work instructor’s participation in film sheds light on disability in antiquity.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA, July 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- New York University professor Pia Hargrove knows the power of her voice as an educator, public speaker, and activist, but it was a narration role that extended her passion of community cultivation across a new platform. The licensed master social worker affectionately known as “Professor Pia” is the voice actor in the short film “Semata,” featured in the European-touring exhibit, “An Archaeology of Disability.”

Debuting in 2021 at the Italian cultural institution Venice Biennale, “An Archaeology of Disability” curated by David Gissen, Jennifer Stager, and Mantha Zarmakoupi presents a reconstruction of the Greek Acropolis as it examines the challenges of historic preservation and physical accessibility. Ironically, the famed tourist attraction is less accessible now than it was in ancient times. The creative concept and profound look at the World Heritage Site continue to spark conversation within the academic community.

For Hargrove, the project has created an evolution within her own body of work. This summer, Professor Pia will amplify awareness about the intersection of social work, political activism, art history, and disability studies with her presentation, “A Seat at the Propylaia” at Princeton University’s workshop, “Making a Place: Grounding the Reception of Greco-Roman Antiquity in Modern and Contemporary Art and Archaeological Practice.”

Princeton University’s Susan Dod Brown Professor of Classics, Brooke Holmes and professor and sculptor, Martha Friedman will host scholars and advanced doctoral students to present experimental and transdisciplinary methods for classical reception studies, art history, and curatorial studies. The two-day seminar held at the Princeton Athens Center for Research and Hellenic Studies will examine how modern and contemporary artists, archaeologists, and thinkers engage with Greco-Roman Mediterranean antiquities.

According to Hargrove, the workshop is a fitting environment to discuss the key principles of “An Archaeology of Disability” and “Semata.” The exhibit helps visitors understand that although discussion about human disability in modern times is often a politically charged subject, people with disabilities have existed and been engaged in activism throughout history. The inclusion of stories and experiences of people with disabilities are impactful and necessary for analyzing the past as any other medium.

“As people experience the film, they learn that ancient Athenians representing people of all ages and abilities worked together to reach the Acropolis summit,” she said. “In the modern world, however, we are challenged to examine how we ascend as a community. An important lesson we can take away from those who lived centuries ago is how they held each other accountable as they evolved and ascended together with dignity and humanity.”

Hargrove’s previous transdisciplinary work post film narration included a live question and answer session with disabled dancer and writer Jerron Herman at the screening of his film “VITRUVIAN” at the Maryland Institute College of Art last February, a collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore Museum of Art. She further collaborated with the artist for a guest lecture at Princeton University’s Spring doctoral course, “Phase Change: Ancient Matter and Contemporary Making.”

Professor Pia is projected to co-author and publish a dialogic essay on “An Archeology of Disability,” in the peer reviewed journal, Classical Antiquity this fall.

About Professor Pia Hargrove: New York licensed master social worker Pia Hargrove is an award-winning educator, speaker, and activist with over two decades of experience serving diverse communities. As a professor at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work she mentors and advises on the needs of immigrant communities and those reflective of the African   Diaspora. Outside the lecture hall, over 800,000 listeners tune into her monthly segment “Mental Health First Fridays,” on Caribbean Power Jam’s radio show, “The Reset.” Hargrove’s other speaking engagements include voicing the film “Semata,” for the international exhibit, “An Archaeology of Disability” in addition to appearing as a guest on podcasts and other online platforms. In 2012 she founded the non-profit organization Creating Legacies, which inspires community building through nurturing entrepreneurs and offering families diverse social and educational experiences. The following year, Hargrove became a children’s author publishing the book, Celebrate Smiles. As an activist, she ran for New York City Council in 2017 and continues community organizing through leadership in several civic organizations including the New York City Hate Crimes Review Panel.  

Farah M. Saunders
Ambiance Media Group
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