More Life In A Time Without Boundaries A collaboration by Roger Colombik & Jerolyn Bahm-Colombik Grace Museum, Abilene, TX, 2016
The small child appears to be enjoying his ride through the supermarket from his perch on the shopping cart. With an orange in each hand he conducts a secret orchestra with a clash of symbols and wildly flaying legs. Mother and grandmother fill the basket and remove the very bruised fruit from his hands. The women are conversing in a language unlike anything one is accustomed to hearing in a West Texas grocery store. When asked about their background the motherʼs response doesnʼt register; she senses our confusion and quickly follows with “Congo”. Congo? Great restraint is required to prevent us from bombarding her with a host of questions, first and foremost, “What are you doing in Abilene?” Polite decorum wins out with a simple salutation and a wave of farewell to the conductor.
Exactly how the family arrived in Abilene was explained during a meeting with Susanna Lubanga, director of the International Rescue Committeeʼs (IRC) Abilene office. Beginning in 2004, nearly one thousand refugees and asylees have resettled in Abilene, discovering a welcome and safe environment to rebuild their lives. The majority of people arrive from Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Bhutan, Iraq and Cuba. Most have suffered under varying conditions of extreme poverty, cultural isolation and government-sanctioned violence. In contrast, Abilene is serving as a genuine refuge, where a future of possibilities is now at hand.
To engage with this community is to enter a realm where personal histories are inextricably linked with global crises and the simple dreams that parents have for their children. Our work addresses these conflicting zones of human nature through a diverse range of artistic practices. The exhibition is meant to serve as a portal into their lives. Empowering the children in this community through visual literacy and the understanding that their families are now an intrinsic part of the Abilene cultural community is essential.
The title of the exhibition, More Time in a Life Without Boundaries is drawn from Harold Bloomʼs use of the Yahwistic blessing in seeking a transcendent life through learning, generosity of spirit and freedom. For those who have suffered greatly and crossed many borders to engage a new world in Abilene the blessing carries a much greater and profound sense of possibility.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the families that welcomed us into their lives. May you and the families that continue to arrive always discover a sense of home and a gracious welcome into the social and cultural life of Abilene:
Dieudonne Nkunzimana and Jeanne Nyamucho, Yam and Muna Rai, Sezikeye and Innocente Mukashema, Nameer and Bushra Kashmoola, Jean Rukundo, Bikole Mulanda and Fabiola Atunda, Vick and Gisele Ghenda, Mohammad Mushtary, Deepak Sarki, New Song Evangelical Ministry
Drawings by Jerolyn Bahm-Colombik
Roger, Judy Tedford Deaton, Director & Curator Grace Museum, Jerolyn Bahm-Colombik, Susanna Lubanga, Director, International Rescue Committee - Abilene Office.