Many immigrants are concerned about their safety and possible deportation based on the actions of some U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. A Rockford artist said her gallery is a safe space and is showcasing immigrant artists. WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose was at the “A Nation of Immigrants: United We Stand” exhibit’s opening reception.
A diverse crowd packs 317 Art Collaborative the evening of Friday, July 10. The artists in the exhibit represent over a dozen different countries.
“Everything from Mexico, Colombia. El Salvador, Moldova, Congo," explained Laura Gomel, executive director of the venue. I mean, it just goes on and on.”
Her husband is from Indonesia, so her family understands what immigrants are going through.
“I want all of our community," she added, "regardless of, you know, where you come from, what your religion is, what your race is, what your preferences are. In whatever aspect of a life you want to share, you're welcome to be here.”
Cristina Langarica’s parents came from Mexico, but she was born in Rockford. Her acrylic, color pencil collage is something that she made for a high school project years ago. There’s a map of the U.S. and Mexico. Langarica said green arrows represent a better life in the U.S. and red ones indicate the idea of people being sent back to Mexico. At the center of it all is a young boy.
“A sad child, you know, upset about the fact that you know his family could be turned apart at any moment.” she said, “So that's what I wanted to show.”
Monica Walk is taking in the exhibit.
“There are a few artists here who are talking about hardships that they've dealt with," Walk said, “and it's really poignant to see it laid out on a canvas. There's an artist whose origins are from Japan who was really sharing some horrible things that have been said to him.”
Molly Carter is a painter and board member at 317 Art Collaborative. She said this art show is timely.
“Especially in this kind of heightened nature of politics in our country right now,” she explained, “I feel like there's a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and something like this brings people together and celebrates our differences.”
The evening concluded with a storytelling session.
Linda Zuba, with the immigrant advocacy group Welcome with Dignity 815, said this kind of storytelling is important.
“It’s how you can connect,” she said. “People are judging immigrants without even knowing their journeys. Why is it that an asylum seeker happens to need to be forced out of their home?
She said the narratives must come from the immigrants, not from others.
Zuba emigrated from Colombia as a child. Her family moved to Los Angeles, and, she said, they were welcomed with love.
“Things changed when we moved to the Midwest," Zuba said. "It was a different world, and I think a lot of it is if you don't understand someone, if you don't know people from a different culture, a different country, there's a lot of judgment.”
The exhibit “A Nation of Immigrants: United We Stand” will remain at 317 Art Collective through August 29.
