This unique project documents the lives and journeys of �new North Carolinians� through a dynamic multi-media experience created by local artists from the region. The project is supported by a grant from the NC Arts Council, Asheville Area Arts Council and the Center for Diversity Education and is being sponsored by the Coalition of Latin American Organizations (COLA), Latino Advocacy Coalition (LAC),Center for Participatory Change (CPC), WNC Workers Center, and Nuestro Centro. Carolina McCready of the Latino Advocacy Coalition states that, �Raising Our Voices is one way to begin deconstructing myths so people can gain awareness of who newcomers are and learn about immigrants, their culture and reasons behind the mass migration beginning at the end of the 20th century.� She invites anyone interested in art, culture, and the realties that new social, economic, and political changes have created to learn from this exhibition. �As artists, we hope to create dialogue, and include the voices of those living in the shadows. This exhibition conveys the moments of resilience and celebration, as well as episodes of discrimination and fear experienced in a diverse range of ways,� says Victor Palomino curator of the event.

The exhibition is connecting artists from many backgrounds and points of view and will include: Sandra Garcia, visual artist of Colombian descent; DeWayne Barton, sculptor, poet, and African American organizer; Adrianna Vasiut, Romanian painter; Kenna Sommer, local visual artist and teacher; Chris Corral, Texas native with Mexican decent oil on panel/canvass, visual narrative with figurative landscapes; Martha Skinner, Colombian designer and educator and founder of 10^10, installations and performances involving collective participation and Oscar Santana, local Latin music DJ from Mexico.

The stories presented are taken from a community human rights project called the Raising Our Voices: 100 Stories Project. The initiative was created in 2009 to interview immigrants experiencing abuse, discrimination, separation, and hardship. �The Raising Our Voices Project provided the written documentation of people affected and struggling in our community. This exhibit will make those words come alive through art and experience. We believe through this project we will reach more hearts by helping the visitor visually understand the realities of immigrants in mountains of NC,� says Miriam Arias, organizer for the WNC Workers Center. More information on the 100 Stories Project can be found at Raising Our Voices - 100 Stories Cause page on Facebook.

The Artery is located at 346 Depot Street, Asheville, NC 28801 in the River Arts Disctrict and is the gallery for the Asheville Area Arts Council http://ashevillearts.com/artery/ . For more information about the NC Arts Council visit www.ncarts.org. Raising Our Voices exhibition is open to the public and donations will be accepted at the door.

(Images provided by Asheville Area Arts Council.)