Open Arms
Images from More than Meets the Eye: An Immersive Display of Narrative Power through Photos
Welcoming Week is celebrated around the country from Sept 13 to 22. This nationwide series of programs, volunteerism, and unity is an opportunity for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees to share their stories with their new communities.
But Cincinnati non-profits are taking Welcoming Week a step further, stretching those efforts into a months-long series devoted to welcoming immigrants and refugees to Greater Cincinnati called Welcome CincyNKY 2024. The programming is led by Cincinnati Compass in partnership with A Picture’s Worth, FotoFocus, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Maketank Inc., Norwood Together, and Summermusik. Welcome CincyNKY 2024 continues through Nov. 13 and includes events on both sides of the river.
Summermusik is working with a number of organizations on an expansive series that sheds light on the resilience, innovation, and creativity of immigrants and refugees in our region while simultaneously celebrating the unique cultural identities they bring.
Knowing Ourselves, Understanding Each Other: The Illustrated Memoir Project
On view through Nov. 10
Contemporary Arts Center
This exhibition in the CAC’s Community Gallery featuresoriginal paintings and drawings created by participants in Maketank Inc’s Illustrated Memoir Project.
More than Meets the Eye
An Immersive Display of Narrative Power through Photos
On view Sept. 13–Nov. 3, Purple People Bridge
A collaborative exhibition and immersive experience, More than Meets the Eye: An Immersive Display of Narrative Power through Photos, amplifies the stories and cultural strengths of local immigrants and refugees.
Cincinnati Rhythm
Friday, Sept. 13, 6–10 p.m. Cincinnati Museum Center,
Special event for the immigrants and refugees who call our region home.
Norwood International Arts Show
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2–7pm Victory Park, Norwood
To celebrate Welcoming Week (Sept. 13-22, 2024), immigrants and refugees as well as all local artists are encouraged to register for the show.
Still Moving – A Facilitated Discussion (Featured FotoFocus Biennial Exhibit)
Opening Reception: Thursday, Oct. 3, 5–7 p.m. | Reed Gallery at the UC DAAP
Delve into the powerful stories showcased in the Still Moving art exhibit.
More than Meets the Eye
Thursday, Oct. 10, 6–8 p.m. Sawyer Point Building
This program seeks to continue Little Amal’s impact in Greater Cincinnati by combining music, art, and storytelling in a one-hour program. .
More than Meets the Eye Multimedia Narratives that Connect Generations and Cultures
On view Saturday, Oct. 12–Nov. 30 | Walnut Hills Library Branch
This extension of More than Meets the Eye features photos, audio stories, and illustrated memoirs created and selected by immigrant and refugee youth.
More than Meets the Eye
Monday, Oct. 14, 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Walnut Hills Library Branch
This program celebrates teen immigrants and refugees and their narratives of resilience, peace, and hope.
BLINK: Community Night 1
Friday, Oct. 18, 7:30–9:30 p.m.
Roebling Books & Coffee, Covington
Take a break to engage in artmaking and conversation around guided topics celebrating immigrants and refugees.
BLINK: Community Night 2
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Roebling Books & Coffee, Newport
Join Summermusik musicians for live performances, along with a dancer, and a celebratory walk to the Purple People Bridge will end the experience.
Owning Your Story: Counternarrative and Storytelling as Tools for Advocacy
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. | Reed Gallery, UC DAAP
An engaging educational event associated with the “Immigrant Leaders of Cincinnati” art exhibit.
“We believe that art has the unique power to bring people together, and we are thrilled to continue promoting the message of hope that Little Amal brought to our region,” says Evan Gidley, Summermusik’s executive director.
Summermusik, an independent ensemble of 32 professional musicians, recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Under the direction of Music Director Eckart Preu, Summermusik concerts offer a fun and informative musical experience in an intimate and informal setting. Collaborations are a hallmark of Summermusik, including partnerships with Walk with Amal, Cincinnati Ballet, and Cincinnati Art Museum. The “We Are One” festival series was launched in 2022 and amplifies under-consulted voices and celebrates unique cultures through music, art, and dialogue.
Host venues for Welcome CincyNKY are Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, Cincinnati Museum Center, Contemporary Arts Center, Purple People Bridge, The Reed Gallery at the University of Cincinnati, Roebling Books & Coffee, Sawyer Point Building, and Victory Park in Norwood.
Maketank Inc’s “Illustrated Memoir Project” on view now at the Contemporary Arts Center engages refugee and immigrant youth to write and illustrate true stories from their lives which are then published as individual books. The goal of this project is to foment intellectual self-trust in the participants, center their lived experience, enhance social emotional learning, and increase multi-modal literacies. Through sharing these stories, we strive to foster a richer understanding of the experience of refugee and immigrant youth and create a more welcoming global community.
During BLINK, Summermusik and A Picture’s Worth will hold Community Nights in Covington and Newport. On Friday, Oct. 18 at Roebling Books & Coffee in Covington, A Picture’s Worth will provide conversation starters, and a craft for families, as Summermusik’s performance for Little Amal in September 2023 is projected throughout the evening. That Saturday, oin Summermusik musicians for a live performance at the Roebling Books in Newport, followed a walk to the Purple People Bridge to view the “More than Meets Eye” exhibition.
A Picture's Worth is a training and service-providing nonprofit that both champions and helps spark narrative change. The organization supports individuals and communities in sharing accurate, strengths based narratives. Through community projects, each of those narratives is sparked by an individual image and audio story. Thee story-gathering methodology is built upon years of researching and practicing restorative media and systems change. A Picture’s Worth intentionally works alongside community members to elicit narratives that center them and honor their expertise and strengths as well as their challenges. By doing so, they do the critical work of deepening media coverage beyond headlines and stereotypes.
“More than Meets Eye,” on view beginning Sept. 13, is part of the 2024 FotoFocus Biennal and will be installed across the Purple People Bridge. The exhbition includes 32 stories of peace, hope and resilience shared by local immigrants and refugees, inviting viewers to hear directly from many new and many well-established neighbors.
“By showcasing experiences that represent the depth and breadth of the immigration journey to the United States, this exhibit helps us understand that across cultures and borders, our shared values, hopes and dreams connect us to one another,” says Elissa Yancey, executive and creative director of A Picture’s Worth and curator of the collaborative exhibit.
“The visual narratives of FotoFocus offer a platform for counternarratives by immigrant and refugees to no longer accept stories told about them, but to become the author and teller of their own stories,” says Bryan Wright, executive firector of Cincinnati Compass. “The lives and contributions of immigrants and refugees are deeply woven into the rich, vibrant culture of the region and these series of events offer a celebration of those contributions and an inclusive path forward.”
Cincinnati Compass is a collaborative project of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, City of Cincinnati, and more than 65 community partners who believe that immigrants and refugees are key contributors to a strong regional economy and a diverse, vibrant community. As part of this work, we advocate for social and economic inclusion; connect individuals and organizations to resources and to each other to build capacities and opportunities; and promote and celebrate the cultural and economic contributions of new Cincinnatians.
Many events are free to attend, though some require registration. Find ticket and reservation information at the link in the sidebar.