One of the 34 pieces of artwork displayed in the Columbus Crossing Borders Project exhibit. This mixed media composition by April Sunami is titled “See Me, See You” and uses mirrors so viewers may literally see themself in a Somali refugee. Photo courtesy of Columbus Crossing Borders Project.
34 paintings by Central Ohio artists will take the stage at St. Ignatius’s Breen Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday afternoon in a special one-day event highlighting refugee stories. The paintings promote unity and harmony by using color, a visual element or some other aspect to link adjacent pieces, creating a cohesive and “borderless” exhibit.
The documentary “Breathe Free” by Doug Swift will accompany the paintings, providing context for the Crossing Borders project and to spotlight the stories of five refugees resettled in Ohio. The documentary initially focuses on the conditions refugees face abroad, moves on to interview activists and those associated with resettlement and culminates with the decision to collaborate and embark on the unique process of the Crossing Borders project.
When asked about the project by The Columbus Dispatch, Project Director Laurie VanBalen said, “It’s a compassionate outreach aimed at instigating critical thinking and understanding of the refugee community. While our project is not political, it’s humanitarian; clearly, this is a hot topic right now.”
Following the exhibit and documentary screening will be a panel with a local refugee, leaders in Cleveland’s refugee resettlement community and VanBalen.
See below for the trailer to “Breathe Free”. The exhibit will be held at 2008 West 30th Street, Cleveland, Ohio and will begin at 5:00. Admission and parking are free.
Evan Chwalek is the Matching Grant Coordinator at Us Together, a member of the Refugee Services Collaborative based in the Greater Cleveland area.
