Sue Mark, a cultural researcher, visual artist and literacy educator, creates dynamic public projects for listening, learning and making visible culture at risk of erasure.  Working under the moniker marksearch for over 20 years, she collaboratively designs interactive opportunities for communities to amplify and preserve neighborhood narratives in California, nationally and internationally. Grant-funded marksearch projects feature local expertise to explore: whose knowledge is valued; connections between longtime and new neighbors; strategies to navigate change while preserving the past. marksearch founded Commons Archive (2014) to gather, amplify and preserve disappearing neighborhood narratives in North Oakland. Additional marksearch co-productions include a mobile sound memorial marking Fukushima disaster’s 10th anniversary presented at Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics, and a community-generated social media campaign in San Jose reframing climate-attuned actions. Sue, a longtime Oakland, CA neighbor, is the Community Engagement and Design Specialist for the African American History & Engagement Project.

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