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Award-Winning Photographer Abdi Roble Brings The Somali Documentary Project to Twin Cities

By Arts Midwest
posted Dec 4, 2006, 13:49

Award-winning photographer Abdi Roble continues his ongoing, expansive documentary initiative The Somali Documentary Project in the Twin Cities. The four-month residency began on October 2, 2006.

In partnership with Arts Midwest, award-winning photographer Abdi Roble continues his ongoing, expansive documentary initiative The Somali Documentary Project in the Twin Cities. The four-month residency began on October 2, 2006.

About Abdi Roble

Abdi Roble immigrated to the United States from Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1989 and later moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he developed his passion for photography. He started two photography groups - the Focus Group (1998) and the African American Photographers of North America (1999). He is also the founder of the Somali Documentary Project Inc. (2003). His exhibitions include: One Month in Europe with Leica (2000), Leica Portrait of Cuba (2002), Japan: A Leica Perspective (2004) and, most recently, the Somali Diaspora (2005-2006) and Against Forgetting: Beyond Genocide and Civil War (2006). Roble is the recipient of the 2004 Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship and 2006 Greater Columbus Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship.

The Somali Documentary Project: A Brief History

Three years ago, Roble embarked on a project documenting the surviving traditions of the first generation of Somali immigrants in Columbus, Ohio. The ensuing series of photographs was the first in an ongoing initiative titled The Somali Documentary Project. The project serves as an archival record of the experiences of the Somali diaspora as its members weave the cultural practices of their homeland into the fabric of their new lives in the United States. Forced to leave Somalia by a brutal regime change marked by violent civil strife, the Somali people living in the United States are relatively recent immigrants who are just beginning the long process of adopting the language and cultural practices of their host country. By recording this moment of change, The Somali Documentary Project intends to capture an important transition in the cultural history of the Somali community. The Somali Documentary Project has a three-pronged goal: to archive a record of the community before assimilation, to educate and create understanding within the host communities, and to draw international attention to what is happening in Somalia.

Previously, Roble's photographs of the Somali community in Columbus were featured at the Ohio Arts Council's Verne Riffe Center for Government and the Arts. This exhibition was also featured at MAPP's Coffee + Tea and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and has toured to North Dakota at The Sibyl Center in Stanley, CHARISM in Fargo, and several schools in Minot. Roble's photographs have also been featured as part of the Minneapolis-based Intermedia Arts exhibition Against Forgetting: Beyond Genocide and Civil War. In October of 2006, Roble's work on The Somali Documentary Project won the Arts Freedom Award from the South Side Settlement House in Columbus.

The Somali Documentary Project in Minnesota

Due to enthusiastic community response to this program in our region, Roble will expand this project in the next four months by documenting the experiences of the Somali diaspora in Minnesota, home to the largest population of Somali immigrants in the United States. The residency consists of two components:

-- Artist-in-Residence at Ubah Medical Academy Roble will serve as artist-in-residence for an intensive, four-week course for high-school students at the International Education Center in Minneapolis. The residency will take place at the Ubah Medical Academy, located within the center. Roble and the Somali Documentary Project team will be assisting art teacher Anthony Theis in the development of art curriculum at the primarily Muslim school - a daunting challenge given the Muslim culture's sensitivity about art. Many Somali parents are not comfortable with their children depicting human faces in art. However, given the positive response to Roble's previous exhibitions in Minneapolis, the community elders and the staff at the Ubah Medical Academy have given strong support to an unprecedented art class that will focus on documentary photography. Roble will work with the students for three days each week on form, composition, and content of documentary photography. Students will document their school, education in their homes, and their religious education. Team member Doug Rutledge will work with the students on developing the text that would accompany an exhibition of their photography. An exhibition of the student photography developed in collaboration with the Somali Documentary Project Team will serve as the culmination of this unique residency.

-- Minnesota Residency and Exhibition Roble will live in Minnesota and document its substantial Somali population. He will spend significant time in the Twin Cities as well as in greater Minnesota, exploring the transition of the Somali population to living in their host country while still retaining the vibrant culture of the homeland they recently left behind. Roble and his team intend to document all aspects of Somali life in Minnesota, since it is home to the largest Somali community in the United States.

The Somali Documentary Project Sponsors

The Somali Documentary Project is made possible through the generous support of The McKnight Foundation, St. Paul Travelers Foundation, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation, and Best Buy. Additional support is provided by Twin Cities International School, Ubah Medical Academy, and the Ohio Arts Council. The project is managed by Arts Midwest.

About Arts Midwest

Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Through strategic alliances, key programs also reach Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. One of six regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest's mission is to connect people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Cultural programs initiated by Arts Midwest - including performances by high-quality theater, dance, and music ensembles; educational arts activities; visual arts exhibitions; and conferences - reach close to one million people annually, enhancing the quality of life in hundreds of cities, towns, and rural areas across the Midwest. Throughout its programming, Arts Midwest maintains a commitment to artistic quality and to reaching underserved audiences and communities.