Reclaiming Home: Remembering the Bottoms

April/May 2025

“Reclaiming Home: Remembering the Topeka Bottoms” was an exhibition of maps, photographs and original works of art that center around the stories told as part of a documentary film focused on the memories and experiences of the people who lived in the neighborhood of “The Bottoms” in Topeka before it was destroyed by urban renewal.

Urban Renewal of the 1950s and 1960s, forced more than 3,000 Topekans to leave their homes and businesses in the Bottoms district to make way for a new real estate development and Interstate I-70. Residents experienced a deep sense of loss and detrimental ripple effects up to this date. Today, their stories help us reconstruct the neighborhood and a way of life. We extend our deepest gratitude to them for entrusting us with their memories.

This project was led by artist Maria Velasco and historian Valerie Mendoza. You can view an excerpt of the documentary on Vimeo by clicking here.