“We have gathered stories of multiple individuals in the refugee and new American community that will each have dedicated boards to their stories and contributions. With that, they will fill in their own Together We _____,” says Mikaela Herman, Communications Specialist at IRC Salt Lake City. “Our goal is to make it people-centered/story-centered, while incorporating some statistics that maybe people do not know about refugees in our community!”
This exhibition is only the latest in Craft Lake City’s work with IRC’s Salt Lake City chapter. Last autumn we announced our joint-project, the New Americans Workshop Series, which presents a total of six craft workshops taught by makers from around the globe who’ve made Utah their home due to humanitarian crises in their countries of origin. New Americans workshop instructors Jawaher Fadhel, Raida Jarjes, Daniel Oduntan and Rispah Otieno also have their stories featured as part of Local Voices: Together We Welcome. The next workshop in this series will be Rispah’s Maasai Beaded Earrings Workshop on January 12 at Craft Lake City HQ from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Local Voices is an installation series supported by Craft Lake City, The Center for the Living City and The Temporary Museum of Permanent Change. Local Voices highlights the inspiring work of Utah-based organizations in an effort to connect the community with ideas that matter. All Local Voices installations are displayed in fourteen metal frames adjacent to the sidewalks in downtown Salt Lake City. They are located on the north and south sides of Broadway (300 South) between 200 West and 200 East. Local Voices installations are open to the public 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and are free of charge.
The public is invited to join Craft Lake City for a free virtual discussion on Tues., January 17, 2023 at noon MST inspired by Local Voices: Together We Welcome. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas and ask questions about the new exhibition in downtown Salt Lake City, while learning about the artists highlighted by the project, as well as the International Rescue Committee’s mission.
About Craft Lake City:
Founded in 2009 by Angela H. Brown, Executive Editor of SLUG (Salt Lake UnderGround) Magazine, Craft Lake City® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to educate, promote and inspire local artisans while elevating the creative culture of the Utah arts community through science, technology and art. Craft Lake City strives to further define the term “Craft,” by modernizing the definition for handmade creativity.
craftlakecity.com @craftlakecity
Craft Lake City’s year-round programming is supported in part by the residents of Salt Lake County through the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program, the Salt Lake Arts Council, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and Utah Arts & Museums, with funding from the State of Utah and the National Endowment for the Arts.