Salem Artist Row Residency To Showcase Immigrant Voices This Summer

SALEM, MA — Salem Public Artist in Residence Julia Csekö is showcasing immigrant voices as part of her interactive exhibit "Transcending Borders — Immigrant Experiences and Dreams" through early September.

As part of the project, The Artist Row studio will serve as a gathering point for the community to share and celebrate immigration stories. Csekö has also partnered with Salem Access TV to create a series of interviews featuring immigrant voices, and she will curate storytelling events throughout her tenure.

The exhibition runs through Sept. 8 with the residency concluding at Old Town Hall in January 2025.

Transcending Borders features more than 2,000 brightly colored ribbons with the phrase "YOU ARE WELCOME HERE" in 12 languages commonly spoken by immigrant populations in greater Boston. The piece is inspired by the Brazilian custom of tying ribbons representing wishes on the fence surrounding the historical Church of Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador, Bahia.

Residents from immigrant families are invited to come down to Artists' Row, take a ribbon, and leave your story.

"Since creating this piece, and interacting with the general public, I have learned that there is significant hesitation in sharing immigration stories, triggered by the fear of stigmatization fueled by misinformation and sensationalist narratives," Csekö said. "This piece invites us to destigmatize immigration experiences and immigrant cultures by providing a positive perspective on these stories, thus creating a welcoming and safe environment."

Participants may choose to remain anonymous or share their identity.

"The Salem Public Artist Residency offers the space, time, and funding to develop a new body of work, by intertwining elements of my personal story with the stories of the multiple immigrant populations of greater Boston," Csekö said. "The residency studio, located at the lively Artist Row, will be used as a place to welcome the general public to participate in storytelling and sharing of immigration experiences. This residency is a unique opportunity to create public participatory art that sparks conversations to destigmatize immigrant populations in North America.

"I am excited to experiment with materials and ideas that are connected to my Brazilian culture, such as the colorful ribbons featured in the Transcending Borders public installation. Come visit, take a ribbon, and tell a story."

Csekö is the daughter of Brazilian parents who left the country for Colorado during a military dictatorship. She has earned local cultural council grants from Somerville, Randolph and Newton.

She continues to be a Cultural Sector Arts Advocate within her communities in North America.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)