To see one of the ways the Welcome Project connects with the Camp Washington community, just take a walk by the Colerain Avenue building. There is a colorfully painted "take what you need" fridge outside.
After spending a few minutes inside the space and chatting with the staff members and volunteers, it becomes clear just how far, and how deep, that involvement goes.
The Welcome Project focuses on working with immigrant and refugee communities in Cincinnati through art and food. The program not only provides a place to share and cherish culture but to connect with others who share similar life experiences. And its tailored to help the Camp Washington community, too.
What does the Welcome Project do?
Erika NJ Allen is the Welcome Project's interim director, as well as an artist herself. While she's currently attending graduate school for ceramics – a love she acquired while working with the project – she returned for the summer.
"Food itself is an art form," Allen said. "Building bridges through food, it's so important ... Sitting around a table and providing nourishment to your body, coming from someone, a chef, that cooks with love."
And building that bridge for people who have immigrated to the United States is especially important, Allen said.
In the current space, the project houses a storefront selling goods created by artists in the immigrant community and a commercial kitchen for helping chefs prepare larger amounts of their signature dishes. Many began their cooking careers as home chefs and, with assistance from the Welcome Project, are able to cater large events.
It also hosts a gallery space that houses the Welcome (M)Art program, created by an artist in residence, as well as other events. The current exhibition by Christopher Leitch centers around cooking from memory, with maps of each continent on a large wall, a string connecting art pieces, representing cuisine from around the world to Cincinnati at the center of the piece. Allen's drawing is pinned on Guatemala and linked to Cincinnati.
