Artist's Statement

The Nave Gallery (Somerville, MA), in partnership with the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church  (CHPC) invites artists to contribute in the curated exhibition,  “Uprooted / Transplanted: Stories of Displacement”. This exhibition will present images and stories of displacement, the forced movement of people from their homes due to conflict, violence, or natural disaster.  

Somerville and the Greater Boston area are home to many such displaced persons, forced to relocate far from home into a totally different environment.  We seek art that portrays the human experience of displacement and resettlement.  All themes, subjects and perspectives will be considered, we especially welcome first person narratives but all perspectives will be considered.  All mediums will be accepted; installations, multi-media and performance art are encouraged.

The Uprooted/Transplanted exhibition will join art exhibited elsewhere in the building tied to the theme of displacement including selections of “Art in Exile”, a collection of paintings from 10 artists in refugee camps in Jordan housed in the  CHPC Sanctuary as well as “Faces of Syrian Refugees”, a collection of triptych life-sized portraits with interviews with relocated Syrian refugees around the world by Newton, MA photographer Michael S. Cohen, in collaboration with radio journalist Amy Bracken.  Both collections are evocative of displacement, survival and hope.