Facing

Immigration

A community conversation & art experience led by educator Diane Sherman

What is Facing Immigration?

Facing Immigration is an experience and a conversation about what it means to be an immigrant, who we are as descendants of immigrants and how immigrants enrich the fabric of our communities.

It is a growing community art project that invites immigrants, refugees and advocates to create blind contour portraits—self-portraits or portraits of one another—accompanied by short personal reflections or stories. These portraits, drawn without looking at the paper, often reveal something raw, true, and deeply human, and they offer a way to enter the conversation about immigrants.

Blind contour drawing is a practice of presence, trust, and letting go—mirroring the immigrant journey itself. To leave behind the known and step into the unknown requires enormous courage. These drawings, made in that same spirit, reflect both vulnerability and strength.

Through this process, we gather not just images, but faces, lives, and stories. Each one reminds us that immigration is not just policy or politics—it’s people.

Why It Matters

In a time when immigrants and refugees are too often reduced to statistics or stereotypes, Facing Immigration is an invitation to see—to really see—the individuals behind the labels.

Unless you are Indigenous, your ancestors came from somewhere else. We all carry stories of migration, risk, and reinvention. This project invites us to face those truths with compassion and humility.

Through portraits and narratives, the project becomes a mirror: asking us to recognize the humanity in others, and perhaps even in ourselves.

Local + National Vision

This project began in Spokane, WA, where artist and educator Diane Sherman works with refugees and immigrants. The initial experiences highlight the refugee and immigrant communities, as well as the advocates of immigrants, giving them space to be seen, honored, and celebrated.

But the vision doesn’t stop there.

Facing Immigration is designed to be shared—to travel to other cities, institutions, and communities. Diane offers workshops and facilitation, helping local groups host their own Facing Immigration portrait gatherings. The model is simple, heartfelt, and replicable, centering art as a vehicle for connection, visibility, and belonging.

Some of the art created at various events will be hosted here in the gallery below.

Bring Facing Immigration
to Your Community

Invite artist and educator Diane Sherman to lead a Facing Immigration workshop or installation in your school, organization, gallery, or community center. Diane guides participants through the blind contour portrait process—an experience of connection, creativity, and profound human witnessing.

Whether you're working with immigrant and refugee communities, students, artists, or the broader public, Facing Immigration offers a powerful way to build empathy, visibility, and shared understanding.

Workshops can be tailored for: