Encounters Art Exhibit
November 5 @ 4:00 pm - November 9 @ 5:00 pm
JONAH’s history and storytelling is taking a new form: an art exhibit! You are invited to “Encounters”, a collaborative art exhibit that lets people encounter one another’s stories through art. The exhibit is in partnership with the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association (HMAA), the UWEC Art Department, and JONAH. Encounters will be open at HMAA – 1320 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire on:
- November 5-8 from 4:00-8:00pm and
- November 9 from 10:00am-5:00pm
JONAH has a history of sharing stories of lived experience to shift community narrative around issues, both to lift up marginalized voices and as a way to encourage social change. These days it is sometimes tokenizing, unsafe, and often retraumatizing to put these voices in the public eye. In response to the few (but loud and aggressive) anti-refugee voices in the area, we wanted to find a safe way for people to encounter others who might be different from them. We feel art is a format that is inviting for the story-teller and viewer. Art is a non-threatening way to learn and opens us up in ways words alone cannot accomplish. Plus, people are more than just the thing that makes them stand out, as well as being more than the worst thing that has happened to them. We sought to generate an event that tells full stories, through art.
