Facing
Immigration
A community art project by Diane Sherman
What is Facing Immigration?
Facing Immigration 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.
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 ESL teacher Diane Sherman works with refugees learning English. The initial show will highlight the refugee and immigrant communities in Spokane, 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.
Bring Facing Immigration to Your Community
Invite artist and facilitator 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:
Community centres and cultural organizations
ESL and refugee education programs
Schools and universities
Arts institutions and galleries
Faith or social justice groups
Let’s co-create an experience that invites people to truly see one another.
