The SDSU Downtown Gallery will mark June 20’s World Refugee Day with presentations and activities focused on stories of migration and refugee communities.
Programming includes poetry readings, talks, and an opportunity for visitors to tell stories of migration through objects photographed for 3D printing (see details below). The schedule runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 725 W. Broadway in downtown San Diego. All events are free and open to the public.
Here is a schedule of activities:
A Portrait of People in Motion (1 – 7 p.m., by appointment)
A participatory project recording the objects and stories of migration by Kerianne Quick, assistant professor for SDSU’s School of Art and Design and Artist-in-Residence at the New Americans Museum.
Individuals can sign up before the event for a 15-minute appointment to bring in an object that represents their family’s migration story. During their time slot at the event, the object will be photographed for 3D printing and individuals will share the significance behind their object and how it relates to their migration story. The story and 3D recreation of the object will then be archived at the New Americans Museum.
Chantel Paul, director of SDSU’s Downtown Gallery, said: “Our hope with this event is that it will be an opportunity for people to connect on a human level around storytelling and individual experience, opening the door for empathy and perhaps even activism for those looking for that outlet.”
To participate, make an appointment here.
Learn more about A Portrait of People in Motion here.
Gallery talk (5:15 – 6:15 p.m.)
Gallery Talk and Conversation with Nish Nalbandian, editorial photographer. Presented in partnership with Medium Photo.
Detainee Allies (6:30 – 7:30 p.m.)
Conversation and Letter-Reading by Detainee Allies with Dr. Kate Swanson, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, and Jennifer Gonzalez, Legal Communicator, Torchlight Legal Communications.
Attendees can write their own letter to asylum-seekers currently being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in an activity led by SDSU Library’s Special Collections and University Archives. Co-founders Swanson and Gonzalez will discuss the work of the local organization.