[frame_left][/frame_left] Reception for Hidemi Tagaki and
Facing America: Portraits of Refugees Resettling in the U.S.

The Forum @ St. Ann’s exhibition, Facing America: Portraits of Refugees Resettling in the U.S., is timely and important to New Yorkers, as seen in the excellent turnout for the reception honoring the artist and photographer Hidemi Tagaki held Saturday, February 27. The Rev. John Denaro, Rector of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, welcomed attendees. Speakers featured Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Will Kneerim, representing the agency that has resettled the portrayed refugees, curator and parishioner Harry Weil, and Hidemi Takagi herself.

The communications officer of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, Denise Fillion, attended the reception and posted a video on the diocesan website.

The Episcopal News Service included the exhibition and examined its meaning and particularly its resonance with the Christian observance of Lent, in this article.

The exhibition received notably thoughtful coverage by The Brooklyn Paper in Face value: Photo exhibit focuses on refugees, which observed:

“Inside a Brooklyn Heights church hangs a series of giant portraits — each an image of a recent refugee to the United States. The ‘Facing America’ exhibit aims to counter scary stories about the asylum-seekers by showing that they are just ordinary people, says the photographer behind the images.”

Facing America attempts to fill the gap between what we know and what we see of refugees in the media. The Forum selected Hidemi Takagi to photograph refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Congo and Eritrea who have been resettled in New Haven, Connecticut, by Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, an affiliate of Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Immigration and Refugee Program of Church World Service.

Facing America will be on view the church sanctuary throughout the Lenten season until March 25. The public is welcome to view the exhibition Tuesday through Thursday, 12 noon – 3:00 pm and on Sunday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, or by arrangement by contacting office@stannholytrinity.org or 718-875-6960.

See photos of the reception here.

Photo credit: Denise Fillion