Embracing Our Differences Ohio comes to Wayne College Art exhibit celebrates diversity
Embracing Our Differences Ohio is a traveling art exhibit that celebrates diversity and it is coming to The Gallery at The University of Akron Wayne College beginning August 22 and will run through May 4, 2012. The show is part of the college’s community relations initiatives for the 2011-12 school year, which focus on diversity.
The mission of EODO is threefold: to demonstrate how diversity enriches our lives; that respect for differences in our thoughts and beliefs elevates the human experience; and, that the active rejection of prejudice and hatred enhances our own freedoms. Each piece in the exhibit, reproduced in three sizes, consists of an original work of art with an accompanying quotation about diversity. All pieces are created by local artists, ranging in age from kindergarten through adult, whose unique perspectives add depth and relevance to the exhibit.
Embracing Our Differences Ohio has its roots in Florida, where a group of Wooster residents were vacationing and became inspired to bring a similar experience to this area. In 2007 and 2008, the first two annual exhibits of billboard-size pieces went on display at a single outdoor location and were warmly received. In 2009, the exhibit was redesigned to feature 3-foot by 4-foot, 2-foot by 4-foot, and 18-inch by 24-inch images that permit the entire exhibit to be more flexible and transportable. This allows displays both indoors and out, and at multiple locations, thereby attracting more visitors and increasing visibility. Since then, it is estimated that thousands of visitors have enjoyed Embracing Our Differences Ohio at more than three dozen locations throughout the area.
In 2010, the program was expanded to include a teacher’s guide. Prepared by the Tri-County Educational Service Center and titled A Resource Guide for Teaching Diversity and Tolerance, the guide provides area teachers with a variety of lesson plans and resources for teaching diversity and tolerance.
“Wayne County possesses a wonderfully diverse population and a rich respect for the arts,” Robb Hyde, executive director of the Wayne Center for the Arts, said. “Embracing Our Differences Ohio is a reminder to the community of the important role both play in making this a great place to live.”
Gil Ning, co-chair, EODO, is pleased that the exhibit will be on extended display at the college. “We as a society have done a wonderful job of exposing our young children to the many differences that make up the fabric of society. Being on display at the college ensures exposure to an older audience, whose generation may not have been as tolerant of the differences among us,” he noted.
The Gallery is located in the Student Life Building and is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about Embracing Our Differences Ohio and how to participate in the 2012 exhibit, visit EmbracingOurDifferencesOhio.org. For information about other events at Wayne College, visit http://www.wayne.uakron.edu.
The mission of EODO is threefold: to demonstrate how diversity enriches our lives; that respect for differences in our thoughts and beliefs elevates the human experience; and, that the active rejection of prejudice and hatred enhances our own freedoms. Each piece in the exhibit, reproduced in three sizes, consists of an original work of art with an accompanying quotation about diversity. All pieces are created by local artists, ranging in age from kindergarten through adult, whose unique perspectives add depth and relevance to the exhibit.
Embracing Our Differences Ohio has its roots in Florida, where a group of Wooster residents were vacationing and became inspired to bring a similar experience to this area. In 2007 and 2008, the first two annual exhibits of billboard-size pieces went on display at a single outdoor location and were warmly received. In 2009, the exhibit was redesigned to feature 3-foot by 4-foot, 2-foot by 4-foot, and 18-inch by 24-inch images that permit the entire exhibit to be more flexible and transportable. This allows displays both indoors and out, and at multiple locations, thereby attracting more visitors and increasing visibility. Since then, it is estimated that thousands of visitors have enjoyed Embracing Our Differences Ohio at more than three dozen locations throughout the area.
In 2010, the program was expanded to include a teacher’s guide. Prepared by the Tri-County Educational Service Center and titled A Resource Guide for Teaching Diversity and Tolerance, the guide provides area teachers with a variety of lesson plans and resources for teaching diversity and tolerance.
“Wayne County possesses a wonderfully diverse population and a rich respect for the arts,” Robb Hyde, executive director of the Wayne Center for the Arts, said. “Embracing Our Differences Ohio is a reminder to the community of the important role both play in making this a great place to live.”
Gil Ning, co-chair, EODO, is pleased that the exhibit will be on extended display at the college. “We as a society have done a wonderful job of exposing our young children to the many differences that make up the fabric of society. Being on display at the college ensures exposure to an older audience, whose generation may not have been as tolerant of the differences among us,” he noted.
The Gallery is located in the Student Life Building and is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about Embracing Our Differences Ohio and how to participate in the 2012 exhibit, visit EmbracingOurDifferencesOhio.org. For information about other events at Wayne College, visit http://www.wayne.uakron.edu.
Published: August 10, 2011
