Photo: Carl Stevens/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A new immigration focused art exhibit opened earlier this summer in East Boston, a neighborhood which has always had a large community of immigrants.
It seems fitting that this exhibit would find a home at the Atlantic Works Art Gallery in East Boston, given the neighborhood’s rich history of immigration.
WBZ NewsRadio spoke to Kristen Freitas, a gallery member, to learn more about the exhibit.
“So, the title is 'Roots of Passage, Artists Examine Immigration,'" Freitas said. “We have a lot of immigrants in our community, and we want to give back to our community and let them know that they are invited to our space here."
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The exhibit itself is very diverse and provides visitors with the opportunity to engage with many different types of immigration stories and experiences reflected in the artwork.
“East Boston’s a diverse place, so I think it’s great! Everyone’s welcome, it’s awesome," one gallery attendee said.
Freitas said that the impetus for the exhibit stemmed from finding the common ground between resident’s differing immigration stories.
“People come here from different ways different reasons why so it's sort of whether you have roots here or roots in your homeland, we wanted to combine those two ideas.”
Recently, the gallery hosted a community day in which residents could look at the art and develop an appreciation for it.
“I’ve been living in East Boston all my life and I just feel like seeing other people’s stories through art is just so interesting and it brings people together,” one local resident said.
The exhibit is from now to Aug. 17.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.
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