The living archive project “Protect Our Piece” makes its CultureCon debut inviting people to add to its hand-stitched story and inspire its next appearances
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — If you grew up in a Black home, you probably remember the couch you weren’t supposed to sit on, sealed under clear plastic because it mattered. Now that couch has become a work of art, and it arrives in Brooklyn at CultureCon October 3-4.
Protect Our Piece is a living archive built around a custom couch currently hand-stitched with 19 pieces of Black culture, including Black joy, HBCUs, Black-owned businesses, Black media and the Black vote. All of them sit under the same clear plastic that generations of families used to protect their furniture.
It started with a grandmother’s living room.
Danielle Young, an art director at advertising agency BarkleyOKRP, came up with the idea from memories of her grandmother’s home.
“The plastic-covered couch was more than just a couch. You understood it was protected because it was valuable,” said Young. “So many Black people share that experience, and at a time when parts of our culture risk being lost or erased, the idea of protecting what matters feels especially powerful.”
A team of Black creatives at BarkleyOKRP worked with Chicago fiber artist Chelsea B., who turned that idea into a physical piece of art, stitch by stitch.
“The idea was always bigger than the couch itself,” said Chelsea B. “Every place it goes gives more people a chance to see themselves in the work and think about what they want to protect and carry forward.”
This weekend: help decide what gets protected next and where it travels.
At CultureCon, registered attendees can see the installation and submit the pieces of Black culture they believe deserve to be protected. As themes emerge, the creators will add some of those ideas to the couch, so the artwork keeps changing as it travels. People who aren’t at CultureCon can add their ideas at ProtectOurPiece.com.
The couch was first unveiled around Juneteenth. Its creators now want to bring it to more cultural events, galleries and institutions across the country, and they’re asking the public where it should go next.
“I want Protect Our Piece to keep growing and creating conversations around Black culture,” said Young. “The dream is to see the couch travel to galleries, meaningful cultural events and public institutions like the Smithsonian, picking up new stories along the way. And one day, maybe even find a home at a place like the Obama Presidential Center!”
EVENT DETAILS
What: Protect Our Piece installation at CultureCon
When: Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: Building 216, 63 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, second floor near the entrance/exit
Access: Open to registered CultureCon attendees & press
FOR PRESS
Visuals: the full plastic-covered couch, close-ups of the 19 hand-stitched pieces of culture, and attendees adding their submissions
Interviews: creator Danielle Young and fiber artist Chelsea B.
Media contact: Valerie Silverman Kerr, valerie@vsk-publicrelations.com, (914) 806-6647
The couch will remain in New York at a gallery through November 2026. Follow the couch’s journey on Instagram at @ProtectOurPiece.
About Chelsea B
Chelsea B is a Chicago-based streetwear designer and fiber artist recognized for her vibrant, custom crochet garments and wearable art. She is the founder of the studio practice House of Chelsea and has partnered with brands including Nike, Jordan and Adidas while creating custom designs for musicians including Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion and Ciara. Her work is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
About BarkleyOKRP
BarkleyOKRP is one of the largest independent ad agencies in the U.S., bringing together both scale and soul to help build brands like Burger King, Metro by T-Mobile, Frontier Airlines, and Jiffy Lube. With a truly integrated approach to strategy, creative, and media, BarkleyOKRP is a five-time Ad Age A-List honoree and Certified B Corp—built to help brands thrive in the modern media landscape. Find out more at barkleyokrp.com.
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SOURCE BarkleyOKRP
