Come to the garden for Arizona Storytellers: Identity & Immigration on Oct. 27
Have you ever grappled with complexities of identity? Discovering who we are as individuals and how culture affects those revelations are topics that will be explored during a live show by the Arizona Storytellers Project at the Desert Botanical Garden on Thursday, October 27.
Five storytellers with share their experiences with identity, immigration and how interwoven these two subjects can be. Not only will the audience enjoy live first-person narratives, they will also view the new "Space in Between" art installation by Mexican artist Margarita Cabrera.
The artwork embraces cultural dialogues through themes that are related to community, cultural identity and sustainability. The display serves as a lunch for the exhibit to travel next year.
The tellers
Theotis Sharpe, a treasury management sales analyst for Wells Fargo who is from Liberia, will share a story that is an ode to the sacrifices his parents made and how he has become the man he is today.
“Through my upbringing and experiences, I have developed a solid understanding of who I am. I have been able to adjust and learn more about myself and how to relate to others, but at the core my values and foundation have stayed intact,” Sharpe explained.
La Voz reporter Laura Gomez-Rodriguez will share how moving so much during her childhood made her question her identity, but also appreciate her culture even more.
“As an immigrant, you’re more pressured to think about identity because most of the time you are leaving your culture and it is then put under a microscope. I proudly say that I am Colombian and, perhaps romantically, a citizen of the world,” Gomez-Rodriguez said.
Although immigration is sometimes perceived negatively, Gomez-Rodriguez and Sharpe want people to start opening their eyes to how beautiful it is.
“Immigration is sexy! When you embrace immigration, you embrace an endless possibilities of innovation and excellence,” said Sharpe.
“My life has been enriched by immigration and challenging my comfort zones and getting to know people who are different from me; all of which help you to become a well-rounded human being,” Gomez-Rodriguez said.
Since its founding in Arizona in 2011, more than 600 people have taken the stage to share their stories at more than 100 events. The USA TODAY NETWORK launched the program nationally in 2015, coordinating more than 90 nights of live storytelling, according to Megan Finnerty, director of the Storytellers Brand Studio and founder of the Arizona Storytellers Project.
Arizona Storytellers: Identity & Immigration
When: 7-9 p.m.,Thursday, Oct. 27.
Where: Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N Galvin Pkwy.
Admission: $10.
Details: tickets.azcentral.com.
