I Was Here is a collaboration between artist Marjorie Guyon and contributors Patrick J. Mitchell, Barry Darnell Burton, Daniel Ware, Michael Baer, Michael Preacely, and Syndy Deese. Layers of history and time are a constant in Guyon's work. One of the hallmarks is that her images at once emerge from, yet disappear into what appears to be an ancient surface. To build her compositions, she works in collage and applies marble dust and pigment – earth from all over the world to create an archeology of the soul. Collage is a metaphor for America's Motto: Out of many comes one. E Pluribus Unum.

Patrick J. Mitchell is an international award-winning photojournalist from New York City, known for documenting present-day life and using human emotion to tell life's stories with his images. His works have been published in several books (Anthology of Appalachian Writers) and articles (Oprah Winfrey's O magazine and The Breona Taylor Billboard installation), in addition to being exhibited in several states across the country including The Lyric Theater, Arthouse, and Purdue Cultural Center.

Barry Darnell Burton, one of the models for the Ancestor Spirit Portraits is a resident of Lexington, KY. His family has traced their roots in Lexington back to 1840, before which there is no information. Along with his physical image, he is also the installation technician for tapestry portraits and the author of “Where Do I Begin”, the signature blessing that accompanies the installation, "Make a Wish on Mr. America," and "E Pluribus Unum" along with many additional narratives that frame the project.