KWENDECHE
Produski Arymeus
African American AIA Fellow
SAY IT LOUD - Washington DC Exhibitor
Alaska Based Designer
Bio:
Owner of Produksi Arymeus, Kwendeche, 71, describes himself as “sole proprietor and headmaker” for various and sundry projects that include historic preservation architecture, photography, wearable art, abstract painting, furniture, tribal masks and sculptures.
KWENDECHE
Bio:
Kwendeche is known for being fun, quirky, off the beaten path. But he’s all about business when it comes to his work with nonprofit groups that are striving to preserve historic structures, especially the Rosenwald Schools built for Black children in mostly rural Arkansas communities in the 1920s. Owner of Produksi Arymeus, Kwendeche, 71, describes himself as “sole proprietor and headmaker” for various and sundry projects that include historic preservation architecture, photography, wearable art, abstract painting, furniture, tribal masks and sculptures. He works from his studio at “my grandfather’s dream house” — the Lamb-McSwain House, built in 1925 in Little Rock’s Wright Avenue Neighborhood and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Object:
Object Five - Alternative career, volunteer work with organizations not directly connected with the built environment, or service to society
Year of Elevation:
2017
Featured Project Name:
The Henry L. Dumas Library and Cultural Center
Featured Project Location:
Sweet Home, Arkansas
Featured Project Completion Date:
N/A
Role in Featured Project:
Chief Architect
Featured Project Description:
The Henry L. Dumas Library and Cultural Center is located on a historical site in Sweet Home, Arkansas. It honors Dumas, an African American poet and short story writer born in 1934 in Sweet Home. The restoration of the Jesse Thomas Grocery Store and adjacent garden created the basis for the rehabilitation of this cultural center.
