Two exhibits of original art created by refugees from South Sudan together with audio segments are on display in Lincoln, and there will be receptions for both on Thursday, Sept. 13.
At Bemis Hall is “Metamorphosis: From South Sudan to Lincoln and Beyond”—photographs and audio of the three “Lost Boys” who were resettled in Lincoln in the early 2000s. The exhibit shows what they went through, what changes they’ve experienced, and where they are now. There will be a reception on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., as well as a marketplace of with South Sudanese vendors selling traditional crafts.
“Metamorphosis: From South Sudan to Massachusetts” in the Lincoln Public Library is a visual and audio exhibit with artworks by numerous South Sudanese refugees. Thursdays’ reception there is from 6–8 p.m.
Both exhibits are curated by Jeff Brown, Ellen Morgan, and Susan Winship of South Sudanese Enrichment for Families (SSEF). The organization was founded in 2004 when three South Sudanese young men—Kuol, Leek, and Charles—lived at Codman Farm and went to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. SSEF continued to raise funds for their education and also another 200 Sudanese in the Boston area at that time.
The organization continues to support South Sudanese refugees in the area by offering help with housing, preschool tuition and summer camp. In Lincoln, its Saturday Bridges family program offers care in the Hartwell pods for the youngest kids, an outdoor education program at Drumlin Farm for older children, and tutoring and workshops for adults.
The Lincoln exhibits run through September 30. For more information or to donate, see the SSEF website, call 781-322-0063, or email SouthSudaneseBoston@gmail.com.
Here are some of the paintings that can be seen in the “Metamorphosis” exhibits.