Community Events

Dublin Arts Council – Urur Dhex-Dhexaad Ah: Community In-Between

Dublin Arts Council is presenting Urur Dhex-Dhexaad Ah: Community In-Between, a photography exhibition featuring 15 central Ohio Somali trailblazers, as the first iteration in a three-year project exploring immigration, integration and identity. Portraits created by two female Somali high school students and other community photographers will be accompanied by written and video personal narratives, artifacts and oral histories delivered by augmented reality.
 
The exhibit runs until November 3 at The Dublin Arts Council, 7125 Riverside Dr., Dublin, Ohio

Columbus Crossing Borders Project

These events may be interesting for those concerned with migration and movement.
As millions of people are fleeing war, terror and persecution, 34 artists and a film crew have embarked on a creative mission to inspire understanding, compassion and support.  
 
The Columbus Crossing Borders traveling art exhibit allows an intimate look into the arduous journeys of refugees and the art inspired by those journeys.  And now, through the lens of filmmaker Doug Swift, comes the Columbus Crossing Borders documentary film, Breathe Free.
 
*Please join us for the film premiere on Thursday, August 10  at 7 pm at The Drexel Theatre in Bexley.  Doors open at 6 pm.
 
THE FILM:
Thursday  August 10, 7:00 pm
The Drexel Theatre
2254 East Main Street  /  Bexley
 
View the Documentary Trailer: 
 
 
THE EXHIBIT:
Thursday  August 31, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Schumacher Gallery
2199 E Main Street  / Bexley
 
For press inquiries, please contact Laurie VanBalen
(740) 739-1561  
 
Columbus Crossing Borders Project website: https://www.columbuscrossingbordersproject.com

Exhibit Shows Bhutanese-Nepali Refugees Living in Central Ohio

There are 20,000 Bhutanese-Nepali Refugees living in Central Ohio making this community one of the largest refugee communities in Columbus.  According to an article in the Columbus Dispatch, “since the 1980s, roughly 80,000 of Bhutan’s ethnic Nepalese have resettled in the United States after the Bhutanese monarchy banned their Hindu religion, language and customs. Many others were jailed or killed, and still others were driven into exile after being forced to turn over their land and resources to the government.”

This exhibit, profiled in the Columbus Dispatch on May 11, presents the faces of 30 of our Bhutanese-Nepali neighbors and friends.  Each photograph, taken by Tariq Tarey, is accompanied by a narrative written by Doug Rutledge, which explains each individual’s history.  These photographs tell the story of the Bhutanese-Nepali refugees, their lives in Bhutan, their experience leaving, life in refugee camps, and their new life in Columbus.

The exhibit runs until Sunday, January 7, 2018 at the Ohio History Center; 800 E. 17th Ave, Columbus, OH 43211, Weds.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. Noon–5 p.m.  For more information, visit the Ohio History Center Website.

 

From Outrage to Dialogue: Having Conversations When You Disagree

Thursday, April 20 at 7 PM – 8 PM
Bexley Public Library
2411 E Main St, Bexley, Ohio 43209
Free admission

It can be difficult to have conversations with people who hold differing opinions.  Our community partner, the Bexley Public Library, is hosting a discussion about how to engage in these discussions and hopefully bridge some of the divisions that have developed in our country.

Below is the official description of the event:

“In this age of current political polarization, Capital University professor of Communication and University Debate Coach Dr. Stephen Koch will discuss how to engage in constructive conversations with people holding different opinions. This program is offered in partnership with the City of Bexley, Bexley City Schools, and Capital University.

“Dr. Koch currently serves as Professor of Communication and
University Debate Coach for Capital University. His 40-year career coaching intercollegiate debate spans program directorships at California State University Bakersfield, Miami University, Ohio University, and Capital University. Under his leadership, Capital’s Debate Team was named national champion at the 2011 National Educational Debate Association Competition.”

The Current: Implicit Bias

Thursday, March 16, 7:00pm.

Location: Bexley Public Library – 2411 E. Main Street, Bexley, Ohio 43209

Join the Bexley Public Library for a talk about Implicit Bias.

“What is Implicit Bias? How can you recognize and guard against it? On Thursday, March 16, we will welcome Robin Wright from The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity to help us better understand this significant issue facing our world today. This is offered in partnership with Bexley City School District, City of Bexley, Ohio, and Capital University.”

 

Global Bexley: “Where are you from? I’m from here.”

by Nikki Freeman

On February 16, the Global Mobility Project’s first community event, “Global Bexley: Making Home in Ohio” took place at the Bexley Public Library. OSU History professor Theodora Dragostinova facilitated a lively conversation among seven Bexley community members who all came from different parts of the world such as Great Britain, Uruguay, Iran, and the former Soviet Union.

Dr. Dragostinova, being from Bulgaria herself, opened the discussion with two major questions that guided the night’s conversation: How did you leave your home? And how did you decide to make a new home in Bexley? Each moved for different reasons which ranged from accepting new and exciting work opportunities to escaping political and religious persecution.

Making a new home in Bexley was not easy for everyone, and the panelists shared personal anecdotes about the trials and tribulations of everyday life. One woman (a Jew from the former Soviet Union) had to learn English for the first time as an adult so took night classes at a local high school. Another woman (a follower of the Bahá’í Faith from Iran) shared a funny story about trying to make an “American friendly” spaghetti dish when her son had a friend over for dinner.  These individual stories highlighted the personal struggle of adjusting to a new community.

Although the panel tried to avoid talking about politics, President Trump’s recent executive order on immigration was obviously on everyone’s mind.

I believe that conversations like this one are incredibly important in today’s political climate. We must bring neighbors face-to-face with each other and encourage people to share their experiences thereby illuminating how international diversity enriches both the local and national communities.

Community Event – The Trump Immigration Executive Orders: A Constitutional Perspective

Another timely event organized by our community partners at the Bexley Public Library! Tuesday, 02/28, at 7pm, in the Auditorium.

During his first week in office, President Trump issued two controversial executive orders with profound implications for immigration and refugee policy. Professor Peter M. Shane from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law will discuss the scope of presidential power to issue executive orders and give an overview of the legal controversies surrounding the restrictions on immigrant entry and the admission of refugees, as well as the discouragement of “sanctuary jurisdictions.”