Cedars, April 2018

April 2018 16 THE GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS: ARTISTIC AWARENESS The Columbus Crossing Borders Project Local artists come together to promote awareness and spark conversations about the refugee crisis by Katie Milligan A group of artists in Columbus host a traveling exhibit to raise awareness of the refugee crisis in the U.S. The Columbus Crossing Borders Project consists of 34 paintings, each by a different artist, and a documentary; each piece of art serves to shed a light on the difficulties refugees face. The project’s paintings serve as a met- aphor for the integration of refugees into America. Each artist had to ‘cross the bor- der’ of their painting into the paintings on either side of them so that as one moves through the exhibit, the paintings overlap through a creative element, such as a con- sistent color, pattern or style. According to the Columbus Crossing Borders official website, “the artists are creating spaces that allow their works to integrate harmoniously. Throughout the exhibit, as paintings and diversities flow in combined efforts, what emerges is a bigger, more beautiful outcome resulting from a co- operative community.” The exhibit travels to schools, univer- sities, churches and other charitable insti- tutions to display the artwork, lead panel discussions and screen the documentary. It has received invitations from coast to coast, and is currently working on trips to Chica- go, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Louisville and San Francisco. Columbus Crossing Borders is a non-profit organization. Though it often re- ceives donations for a documentary viewing and bids for its artwork, all funds it acquires are either put back into the project’s trav- eling expenses or benefits refugees through the Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS). Laurie VanBalen, an artist from Pa- taskala, Ohio, founded the project out of a passion to enact social change. She was in- spired to start the project during the 2016 presidential election when the immigration and refugee issue was transformed into a political platform. As she observed the spreading controversy and hatred in Ameri- ca, she felt the need to take action. “I became concerned, because I knew very good people who were misinformed about immigration, who were being manip- ulated by fear [and] the media,” VanBalen said. “What I wanted to do was contribute, even just in some small way through my artwork, to create an exhibit that promoted critical thinking and compassion for people.” Though the project began because of a concerning political climate, VanBalen stresses that it was not meant to be a polit- ical statement, but an effort to promote hu- manitarian rights across the globe. After President Trump was elected, VanBalen saw a need to advocate for refu- gees. She began contacting 33 other artists in Central Ohio to join the project. She had become familiar with other artists through teaching at schools, libraries, community centers and her home art studio Art Soup for over 35 years. “At first I considered just inviting a few of my peers, but once that momentum got going, I envisioned a project that would be a gathering, an artistic UN,” VanBalen said. As she searched, she had only three cri- teria for the group: a diversity in approach and style, a significant following to attract people to the exhibits and the ability to work under tight deadlines. Though VanBalen held the first meeting with all 33 artists pres- ent in January 2017, they had to return their finished painting to VanBalen by that April. The artists found inspiration for their paintings through meeting refugees, seeing photographs of them or doing research on their own. Then, based on the aspect of the refugee crises that particularly moved them, they created original works that combine to form a cohesive exhibit. For example, Paula Colman’s painting “One Child of Millions” was inspired by a photograph of a child behind a barbed wire fence which is commonly used around im- migrant and refugee housing. “I connected my own feelings of help- lessness from seeing her and watching this continuing, escalating humanitarian crisis, with this little girl’s despair — and the mil- lions of children suffering, unable to get to the light,” Colman wrote on the Columbus Crossing Borders website. Another central aspect of the project is the full-length documentary titled “Breathe Free,” created by filmmaker Doug Swift, owner and creative director of Wild Iris Vid- eo. When VanBalen approached him with her idea, Swift was thrilled for the opportu- nity to capture the refugees’ story. “I’m a storyteller at heart,” Swift said. “No matter what subject, if anybody is be- ing stereotyped, the antidote is always to tell their story.” In addition to documenting the artists’ progress on their paintings and covering the project’s first exhibit, Swift contributed the idea of including real-life refugees and their stories in the film. He worked closely with CRIS to locate and interview several Syrian and Bhutanese refugees living in Columbus. “We want to allow refugees to have their voice, so we really have to get refugees to tell their stories,” Swift said. A touching scene in the film features a family of six Syrian refugees: mother Manal, her husband and four children. This family was welcomed into the country by a wel- come team of seven American families from Bexley, Ohio. The hosts helped the refugees integrate into American society in practical Photo provided by Columbus Crossing Borders Project Art by David Denniston. The lines are Morse code and include the words “empowered,” “hope,” “speak out” and “new life.”