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The Resilience Cords Project
In 2025, the City of Raleigh’s Office of Strategy and Innovation, Office of Sustainability, and Raleigh Arts partnered with local artist Leeman Smith to explore how our community defines resilience and what our community needs to thrive. Inspired by the "A Better City for Children" project in Reykjavik, Iceland, this interactive activity is part of Raleigh’s larger Resilience Hub project.
Residents were asked, "What are the building blocks of a strong and happy life?" Participants answered by adding 20 beads to a "resilience cord." Each bead color and quantity represents the facets of life they value most. This visual data collection helps us understand how different generations define resilience, creating a living map of our community's core values.
The Artist's Process
To create this tapestry, Leeman Smith gathered hundreds of resilience cords made by community members and organized them by generation. By grouping the cords into age brackets and stringing them together on a large wooden dowel, a vibrant rainbow effect was created. While the colors create a striking visual from a distance, a closer look reveals valuable data about our community. By following the keys below, you can see how different generations prioritize their needs and what building blocks are most vital to their happiness.
About the Artist
Leeman Smith is a Raleigh-based textile artist and illustrator who transforms colorful drawings into large-scale woven, quilted, and embroidered tapestries. Blending illustration and fiber arts, their work celebrates joyful memories in nature and pivotal moments affirming their genderqueer identity. Leeman’s art has been exhibited at CAM and Artspace, and they regularly share their love for the craft by teaching workshops across North Carolina.
