With all the attention being paid to immigration these days it’s important to remember we all came from somewhere. And there is no better reminder than the FRONT exhibit currently at the Cleveland Public Library this exhibit installed by Yinka Shonibare is a beautiful, colorful rendering of such stories. “The American Library” is composed of a huge free-standing bookshelf, filled with thousands of volumes wrapped in African wax cloth and stamped in gold with the names of immigrants that found refuge in the United States, some unknown, some notable. Regardless of your recognition of their name you can simply head to one of the computers at the end of the display and scroll through the thousands of names represented and find out about that person. Who they are/were, what country they originated from, and a few sentences about their life. Don’t worry, this is not endless reading just a short encapsulation that will give you an overview of the colorful and rich history that immigrants have brought into a country over the past years. The beautiful colorful fabrics tying it all together remind us that it takes many colors, textures, and vibrancies to make the world we live in today.
But don’t delay this exhibit is only here until September 30th!