On June 20th, World Refugee Day, the stories of ten refugees living in Maine will be exhibited at Venn + Maker, a showroom for Maine artists and craftspeople. Visual storyteller Sofia Aldinio and writer Emily Wedick present a mixed media exhibit that unearths the stories of those who have resettled here and the treasured possessions they carried with them.

Opening night will be held on June 20th from 5:30 – 7:30. All are welcome to attend to view the exhibit, meet the artists, hear first account stories from the subjects themselves and enjoy music by Pihcintu Choir and African Dundada.

Maine’s resettled refugees were carried, through a confluence of unique circumstances, away from their homes of origin and to this unlikely landing place– just like objects they brought with them. Carried from Home reveals a deeper understanding of their lives and passages. Through the objects and the stories of those who behold them, we explore the concept of value as it relates to who we are, what we own, where we call home, and what we share as cultures collide and coexist in our state.

Most of us have an object that holds great meaning to us, that we care for, and that has traveled a great distance with us–through time or miles or both. Carried from Home connects the audience with its subjects through the shared experience of holding onto what we care about most.

No matter where we live, we all want to know: who are our neighbors, where do they come from and why are they here? In a time when the value of refugees in our communities is often questioned, Carried from Home shows us that values of our neighbors “from away” are not so foreign after all. Carried from Home seeks to become a statewide mobile exhibit.