James A. Bowey, MFAIn recent years, the number of globally displaced people has risen dramatically, and the trend is expected to continue given the current state of world affairs. Considering the importance of civil conversations and education about the hidden lives of refugees in our community, the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences presents “Refugees, Empathy, and Human Rights” to facilitate learning in an artistic environment from Feb. 2-March 1 at Heritage Hall fifth floor.
“Refugees, Empathy, and Human Rights” is a traveling photography exhibition and community conversation series about refugees in America by documentary artist James A. Bowey. The exhibit consists of contemporary color portraits and first-person poetic stories highlighting the plight and resilience of refugees working to make a new home in the United States. Bowey will deliver a public talk Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Alys Stephens Center’s Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall from 5:30-7 p.m. discussing dehumanization of refugees, the need for empathy and how to make human connections in divided times.
Bowey is a documentary artist whose work explores issues of social justice and human rights. He has spent his career covering global and national stories from the war in Bosnia to Hurricane Katrina. His photography and writing have been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine, the Associated Press and numerous other exhibitions. Building on his career as an international photojournalist, editor, and professor of art and media, Bowey creates “interactivations” that combine documentary storytelling, visual art and live programs in an art form that promotes empathy and bridges social divisions. His current projects about refugees and race in America are presented nationwide.
The event is coordinated by Professor David Chan of the Department of Philosophy and co-sponsored by the departments of Anthropology, Art and Art History, History, Political Science and Public Administration, Social Work, and World Languages and Literatures, and the UAB Institute for Human Rights and the Sparkman Center for Global Health.