Exhibit highlights the lives of refugees

A collaborative initiative between former Dover resident Amanda Comstock, a writer and Columbus-based photographer and videographer, Tariq Tarey will result in a project that hopes to build empathy and understanding of and between two communities that have had little contact: refugees and rural people, specifically those in Appalachian Ohio.

In its first stage, New Arrivals, a visual exhibit titled “Dis[place]d: seeking refuge” will open at the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. Tarey will exhibit a collection of portraits taken over a decade of forced migrants from Greece and Somalia who took shelter in refugee camps while they waited for resettlement. Many waited 20 years.

Some of those individuals settled in Columbus, Ohio, which is home to the third-largest population of Somali immigrants in North America.

The text accompanying the photographs is the work of Comstock. “The images depict broad reasons for forced migration: land seizures, religious and cultural persecution, and war,” Comstock said. “By sharing personal narratives of some of the subjects, we are examining the ways in which refugees contribute to their new communities.”

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Tarey spent his childhood in the Middle East before coming to the U.S. as a refugee in 1997 and establishing himself as an award-winning socially conscious artist and ethnographer.

“This time, in my lifetime millions of people have been pushed out of their homes. That’s like 10 countries disappearing. I want people to better understand the scale of this issue,” Tarey said. “I’ve decided to say something about it through a medium I know, photography.”

Tarey shoots large-format photography using a 4-by-5 film camera. “Photography is a young medium,” Tarey said. “Archiving and cultural preservation are important to me. I use film, especially black and white film, to maintain that archive-ability. And I like that I can be anywhere in the world and capture images without having to rely on electricity.”

Tarey said it is important his subjects be seen as equals. “They have survived oceans, bombs, chemicals,” Tarey said. “Yes, they need help. It’s our job to bring on social change.”

Comstock is a seventh-generation Tuscarawas County native who remains deeply connected with the community. She has lived periods of her adult life in Tuscarawas County and maintains her local relationships through frequent contact with friends. Comstock is a staunch advocate for the individuals that make up the rural community.

“Our project first presents an opportunity for rural folks to have a new experience of refugees and interact with their stories in a more direct, humane way,” Comstock said. “Tariq and I have found commonality in how misunderstandings about the populations we work with and are a part of have led to negative portrayals of and behavior toward these marginalized communities. Sharing their stories and images in communities who do not know them is essential to inspiring compassion and empathy.”

The cooperative initiative will examine the difference between refugees and immigrants and will make clear that both groups of people are an asset to their new communities.

Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts director Jeannine Kennedy said she is excited about the upcoming exhibit. “Amanda has been involved with the art center for years,” she said. “She brought this idea to me last fall. I believe this show is a gentle way to bring awareness to people in the area who might not get a chance to see this anywhere else.”

The show is partially sponsored by Ohio Arts Council, Lauren Manufacturing and the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation.

Live music will be performed by jazz guitarist Bob Ventre and bassist Dan Conwell. All are welcome.

In the project’s second phase, Common Ground, which will get underway this summer, Comstock and Tarey will document stories in words and in portraits over the course of 18 months. They will ask participants, “What are the stories of how you came to be here? What is your relationship with this place? What is important to you? What have you made here, and what are you still looking for? What does the world need to know about you? When and how did your ancestors become part of the fabric of America?”

“The result will be a travelling art exhibition, which we hope to show in urban areas in an effort for rural people to be seen with the same humanity in a context where they are often stereotyped,” Comstock said. “Because metropolises often determine policy and practices that take place in rural areas, rural people have the right to be known.”

If you would like to participate in the project, visit www.displacedseekingrefuge.wordpress.com. If you can provide financial support for the project, visit www.gofundme.com/displaced-seeking-refuge/donate.

The Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts is located at 461 Robinson Drive SE in New Philadelphia.