BELONGING WORKSHOP & EXHIBITION
A community based project
In the last decade, Portland, Maine has become a focal point for a sudden surge of migrants. Arriving in Maine, one of the most white states in the country, is a great opportunity for some but not everyone shares this feeling.
The Belonging exhibit is the result of a four week-long storytelling workshop for immigrants, meeting once a week during 2022. Using photography, writing and art, a tool not often accessible to vulnerable communities, the group explored what the concept of home meant for them under the guidance of a Photography and Art instructor who are immigrants themselves.
For decades now, journalism has told the stories of immigrants with a foreign voice. Shifting the power dynamic and creating a space for the immigrants and refugees to share their own voices, I hope to bring a sense of confidence and empowerment to their voices and stories.
The exhibit showcases what it means to belong – to one’s self, to a culture, to a geographic location and to a new community.
Workshop participants and artists include: Suad Mohamed, Yannick Bizimana, Beny Lumanika Mbungu, Fatima Askari, Brenda Viola, Setara Saeedi, Greta Tucker, Mercia Ckaba Thomas, Akad Hamed, Mohammad Hashem Majidi