An interactive art project that examines how labels both help and hinder the ability to build unity as a nation and the human race is coming to 海外吃瓜 in October.
The community is encouraged to participate in the event, which will be held from 11 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, Oct. 9, outside of Saurwein Health & Wellness Center on Rebecca Street. Parking is available nearby.
The Unity Project is a circular arrangement of 32 poles in a large field. Each pole is labeled with an identifier. For example: 鈥淚 am a parent,鈥 鈥淚 speak English as a second language,鈥 鈥淚 identify as LGBTQ.鈥 With orange yarn, participants tie to each pole with which they identify. A canopy of interconnectedness forms as more people participate.
鈥淚n the end, we see that we are all connected by something,鈥 said Cherrelle Gardner, director of Multicultural Student Affairs, the organization sponsoring the Unity Project along with the Office of Civic Engagement. 鈥淭his project celebrates the uniqueness of individuals and raises awareness of how labels impact our perception of and interactions with the world.鈥
The Unity Project was created in June 2016 as a response to the divisiveness and negative rhetoric in American politics. So far, 32 countries have participated in a Unity Project event. Its creator, Nancy Belmont, is the CEO at Vessence Corp. In May 2015, she launched the Courage Wall as a way to raise awareness of the fears that hold people back from living big, bold authentic lives. The Courage Wall and the Unity Project both fall under her #WeLiveBig initiative to promote human flourishing.
For additional information, contact Gardner at (410 448-2412 or email multicultural [at] heidelberg.edu.