Artist Statement: The piano is dedicated to Irish immigration & to bring awareness to contributions made to the U.S. After being nearly starved out of existence during the Famine, millions fled to the U.S. where they worked hard & assimilated into our country. They were a huge workforce which built skyscrapers, railroad tracks, bridges & highways. They have a history of being civil servants with our bravest, boldest & strongest & fought for labor rights. Their contributions show how valuable immigrants are to our country. On the back of the piano I placed an excerpt of a poem written by Mairéad Geary which beautifully states, in part, “Through melancholy mists and harrowing storms, some survived the wretchedness of ocean crossing and mountain crossing, only to be scattered like rain drops upon thousands of valleys, where they learned to hope anew, paying tribute to their homeland in sweat and tears; toiling to the rhythm of their songs; whilst laying the foundations for the winding roads of your dreams.