121911 Embracing Our Differences focuses on what unites, not divides, the community

  • By Sharon Haught
  • December 12, 2011
  • 322
                        
Summary: The Embracing Our Differences Ohio exhibit allows students the opportunity to celebrate diversity through the arts. Since 2007, a unique art display has given artists of all ages and ability levels a voice in the celebration of diversity. The Embracing Our Differences Ohio exhibit brings together quotations and artwork to produce a powerful message to the greater Wayne County community that it is important to focus on what unites the community, not what divides it. According to Embracing Our Differences Ohio co-chair Ferenc Relle, since the project was launched five years ago, the organization has received over 2000 entries. “Each year approximately 90 finalists are chosen – 45 artists and 45 authors,” said Relle. While community members of all ages are invited to submit pieces for consideration by the committee charged with selecting pieces for the exhibit, the work of school children make up the majority of the selected pieces. As Wooster City School District Superintendent Michael Tefs told the members the Board of Education during their November meeting, 36 of those finalists came from the Wooster City School District. “As superintendent I can tell you that I am incredibly pleased and proud we in the Wooster City School District are a very large portion of the pictures and the quotes that make up this campaign,” said Tefs adding “we have a lot as a community to be proud of.” The idea of creating an art exhibit encouraging the appreciation of diversity was born when a group of local community members saw a similar exhibit in Sarasota, Florida. The group was so moved by the powerful message that they vowed to bring a similar program to Wooster. In its inaugural year, committee members went out into the community and schools asking for artwork and quotes emphasizing the importance of diversity. A panel of judges selected the best 39 pieces, which like the Sarasota exhibit, were initially displayed on 16 by 12 foot billboards at ATI, Cleveland Clinic Wooster and Ingenuity Fest at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. When windstorms destroyed both the 2008 and 2009 exhibits the committee discovered that it would be cost prohibitive to construct storm proof billboards. As they began looking for another means to display the artwork and quotations, the group also began to explore the possibility of bringing the exhibit directly to the people of Wayne County. The decision the committee made changed the character of the exhibit entirely. Rather than a large static display in a single location, the new smaller display could be set up at venues around the area to bring the message of diversity directly to the community. The new smaller poster size exhibit was unveiled at the Wayne County Public Library in 2009. Later that year the display was also set up at the Ethnic Fair and Leadership Wooster and Junior Leadership Wooster events. In 2010 the committee also produced two foot by three foot banners in addition to the poster size display and a teacher’s guide for teaching diversity in the classroom. Since that time the banner and poster size displays have been exhibited at such venues as the Ethnic Fair, Home and Garden Show, Career Center, Wayne Center for the Arts, Frito Lay, Festa Italiana, Arts Jazz Fest, College of Wooster, ATI, Alternative Gift Market, Wooster High School Fine Arts Festival and NAACP dinner. According to Relle in 2010 alone the group estimates that over 40,000 people were exposed to the exhibit. Even more will likely see the 2011 exhibit, which is expected to be on display at over 25 different locations throughout the county. To learn more about Embracing Our Differences Ohio including information on entries for the 2012 exhibit log on to www.embracingourdifferencesohio.org.


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