EVENTS
In the Middle of the Endless Water
Reception: Thursday, October 15th, 5-7pm
A solo exhibition by Julia Orquera Bianco that brings together more than ten years of the artist’s work.
The exhibition traces a journey through different territories and stages in Bianco’s practice, from her early experiences of migration to her most recent work in the United States. In this movement, distance from the artist’s home in Argentina opens questions around forms of belonging, family, and cultural heritage. The ongoing hybridization between what one carries with them and what one discovers in each new geography becomes increasingly apparent in the work.
Immigration: A Journey of Belonging
Immigration: A Journey of Belonging” brings together six artists who explore complex emotions in their work, from hands-on photography books to paintings to large, delicate fabrics.
By sharing the painful stories of displacement, the joy of connections, and cultural fusion, these works invite viewers to reflect on their own journeys and understandings of home and belonging.
New Americans Art Exhibit 2026
Welcome Dayton’s Community, Culture and Arts Committee organizes the annual New American Art Exhibit at Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third Street, November - December each year. The exhibit is free and open to the public and is located on the second floor outside the Community Room.
Artists from the New American community currently residing in the Miami Valley - including immigrants, refugees, displaced persons, individuals born outside the United States or U.S. territories, and their second-generation descendants - are invited to participate.
Exhibition Dates: November 1 - December 31, 2026
Multicultural CommUNITY Resource Fair
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
REGISTER HERE!
Join us at the Columbus Museum of Art for this year’s Multicultural CommUNITY Resource Fair, bringing together approximately 60 community partners, nonprofit organizations, and vendors and offering a plethora of resources for refugee, immigrant, and English Learner students and their families.
Coloring Book Giveaway at Cleveland Museum of Art
Play Days at the Cleveland Museum of Art are free opportunities for families to be creative and curious and connect through art together. On November 8, CMA is hosting Play Day: Assembly Required, featuring free copies of the Ohio Is My Second Country Coloring Book for the first 100 participants!
Black Violin – The Be Free Tour with special guest: Jon Muq
Black Violin has always been about taking things further, exceeding expectations, challenging conventions. The duo has steadily built a devoted following and a diverse touring base— culminating in such triumphs as two sold-out shows at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra commemorating the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, and appearances on the Today Show, CBS Mornings, and PBS Newshour—while occupying a musical lane that’s entirely its own.
Many Journeys, One Ohio: Honoring Service, Creativity, and Civic Belonging
Take a student art walk and honor six military and law enforcement honorees at this America250 reception celebrating Ohio's African diaspora
Join friends and family for an in-person reception celebrating service, creativity, and civic belonging in Ohio.
Matt Kenyon: Maximum Overdrive
Join OIA for the opening of Matt Kenyon’s installation Maximum Overdrive at the Sculpture Center in Cleveland. Ohio Immigrant Alliance is working with Matt Kenyon and the Sculpture Center to provide immigrant testimonies for the artist's exhibition, and materials for the public that extend the show's message into the community.
About the Artist:
Matt Kenyon’s S.W.A.M.P. (Studies of Work Atmospheres and Mass Production) focuses on critical themes addressing the effects of global corporate operations, mass media and communication, military- industrial complexes, and general meditations on the liminal area between life and artificial life. SWAMP has been making work in this vein since 1999 using a wide range of media, including custom software, electronics, mechanical devices, and oftentimes working with living organisms.
Matt Kenyon is a media artist and designer. Kenyon’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in such venues as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, MOCAD Detroit, Science Gallery Dublin, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, and the International Print Center and The Museum of Capitalism. He is a TED Fellow, a MacDowell Fellow, and his work has been awarded the FILE Prix Lux. His TED talk “A Secret Memorial for Civilian Casualties” has been viewed over 800,000 times and translated into twenty-five languages.
His work has been featured in The New York Times, Wired, and Gizmodo, and has also appeared in edited volumes such as A Touch of Code (Gestalten Press), Adversarial Design (MIT Press) and Code as Creative Medium (MIT Press). He lives and works in Buffalo, New York, where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the University at Buffalo, where he is also the director of undergraduate studies in art.
Learn more about Matt Kenyon here.
Cincinnati Rhythm - Celebrating the new Americans
Each year, we celebrate the new Americans whose contributions strengthen our regional economy and enrich our community with diversity and vibrant energy.
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California with origins in Rosa Morada, a sindicatura in Mocorito, Sinaloa, Mexico. They began their recording career in the early ‘70s and has amassed widespread acclaim since then. Their breakthrough hit was in 1972 with the corrido titled “Contrabando y Traición”. Los Tigres adopted an electric style, trading in their traditional acoustic sound for one incorporating bass, drums, and electric guitar. The group also adopted a modern approach to songwriting, emphasizing contemporary social themes common to Mexican-Americans.
SAVE THE DATE Pursuing the Promise: Voices Across Generations of Equity, Belonging and Hope
SAVE THE DATE
Pursuing the Promise: Voices Across Generations of Equity, Belonging and Hope
BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2026
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Columbus Metropolitan Library
96 S Grant Ave, Columbus, OH 43215
HOSTED BY: THE OHIO INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrants
VIGIL FOR IMIMIGRANTS
Please join us for an Interfaith Prayer Vigil for
Immigrants
7:00 PM October 28
Payne Chapel AME Church
300 South Front Street
Hamilton, Ohio 45011
Come in peace and solidarity at this gathering of diverse faiths, featuring readings, music, and reflection.
African Diaspora, Black Immigrant Communities and the 2026 Midterm Elections
African Public Affairs Committee and Asha Strategies invite you to African Diaspora, Black Immigrant Communities & the 2026 Midterm Elections, a virtual, nonpartisan conversation on Wednesday, October 28, from 7:00–8:30 p.m. Eastern.
We are pleased to feature Diana Konaté of African Communities Together, alongside African diaspora and Black immigrant leaders, to discuss immigration, affordability, education, community priorities, and civic participation ahead of the upcoming elections.
CCNO ICE Detention Contract Protest
Please join us for another CCNO ICE Detention Contract protest at the CCNO Board meeting on Wed. Oct. 28 from 9:00 - 11:00 AM at 22491 Mill St, Defiance OH (Brunnersburg).
We will gather in the parking lot and also inside at the Board meeting to ask the CCNO Board to terminate its ICE detention contract.
Come with your END ICE CONTRACT NOW! signs and help us raise our community resistance voice
with the BG Raging Grannies!
Columbus Premier of the Documentary: Everybody to Kenmure Street
Everybody to Kenmure Street
(Felipe Bustos Sierra, 2026)
2026 Annual Gathering: Resistance Rising
The 2026 Ignite Peace Annual Gathering: Resistance Rising is on Wednesday, October 21, from 6-9 PM at the Woodward Theater, and we would love nothing more than for you to join us along with so many other socially conscious individuals from Greater Cincinnati for an evening of music and a celebration of local peacemakers.
Our network of volunteers and supporters is active in the community, working to make Cincinnati a welcoming home for our immigrant neighbors and a merciful place for those impacted by our flawed criminal justice system. This evening is a chance to celebrate them, as well as recommit to our ongoing mission.
This year’s theme, Resistance Rising, was chosen with the intention of honoring resilience and uplifting hope. Awards will be given to recognize community members who have gone above and beyond to challenge unjust systems. We hope to see you there!
Unshackle Springfield: 4 Day Pilgrimage with our Haitian Community
PILGRIMAGE KICK-OFF RALLY
10/21 • 7:30 AM
SPRINGFIELD CITY HALL PLAZA
UNSHACKLE SPRINGFIELD
PUBLIC RALLY:
10/24 • 1PM
WEST BANK PARK, COLUMBUS, OH
Other Forms of Resistance: Maya Youth
Join our dialogue: Let’s explore other forms of Maya resistance.
ZOOM CALL - EMAIL FOR THE LINK - info@mycomunidadsol.org
Sunday, October 11, 2026 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM Eastern US Time, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Guatemalan Time
Jeff Cán Xicay (2004) is a Kaqchikel visual artist originally from Patzicía, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. His practice develops from the traditional textile craft, exploring its material and symbolic dimensions from a contemporary context.
Peace Walk for Kindness, Peace, and Unity
Please join us for a two mile community journey on October 10th as we march for kindness, peace, and unity. As a reminder, please do not bring outside signage due to the nature of this event. We have signs that will be handed out prior to the walk. Do bring your energy and friends. All are welcome!
Opening Reception: “and I quote” by Bill Franz
The Dayton Society of Artists presents “and I quote,” an exhibition by photographer Bill Franz exploring the recent immigrant experience through art and quotation.
Created over the past six months, the series is structured around ten quotations that provide a framework for the individual works and the experiences they address.
Presented by the Dayton Society of Artists and hosted at the Dayton Metro Library – Main Library, 2nd Floor Gallery, the exhibition is part of DSA’s ongoing off-site exhibition programming.
Artist Reception
Thursday, October 1, 2026
5:30–7:30 PM
Exhibition Dates:
October 1–31, 2026
Dayton Metro Library – Main Library, 2nd Floor Gallery
215 E. Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402
Free and open to the public.
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL In memory of Pierre Damas Bel
Haitian Community Organizing Committee in Springfield presents
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
In memory of Pierre Damas Bel
and to demand:
Unshackle Springfield
Gathering in front of City Hall
Saturday September 12 - 7:45 PM
White attire highly encouraged
Everyone invited • Peace & Solidarity
VIRTUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE for Pierre Damas Bel
Pierre Damas Bel
TOGETHER, WE WILL REMEMBER PIERRE, CELEBRATE THE LIFE HE LIVED, AND HOLD SPACE FOR THE MANY PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES HE TOUCHED.
REMARKS GIVEN BY HIS FATHER, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND CLASSMATES.
Register for zoom: https://bit.ly/pierredamasbel2026
934Fest
934Fest is 934 Gallery’s free annual celebration of art and music in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood. Expect live music on two stages, new murals, food trucks, craft beer, a vendor market, and gallery exhibitions all weekend.
Ohio Immigrant Alliance is honored to be a proud sponsor of 934Fest and the NEW mural “The Torchbearers” by local legend Luka Weinberger! @lowbarluka
More details on the festival can be found at @934gallery — we’re so excited to be a part of this.
→ Come visit us in the Milo Garden from 1-7pm!
→ Stop by, say hi, and check out what we’re working on.
→ 100% free to attend 🎨🎶
Dayton Community Vigil for Pierre Damas Bel
Community vigil to celebrate the life of Pierre Damas Bel. Bring candles. #UnshackleSpringfieled
Faith Leaders and Community Members to Gather at Springfield City Hall for "Unshackle Springfield" Potluck and Public Witness
Faith Leaders and Community Members to Gather at Springfield City Hall for "Unshackle Springfield" Potluck and Public Witness
Sunday event brings together interfaith coalition demanding an end to ICE enforcement terrorizing the Haitian-American community
On Sunday, August 30, at noon ET, faith leaders and community members will gather at Springfield City Hall Plaza for "Unshackle Springfield," a potluck meal and public witness calling attention to the devastating human toll of immigration enforcement on Springfield's Haitian-American community.
The event runs from 12-2pm PM at Springfield City Hall Plaza, 20 South Limestone Street. Attendees will share a communal meal from 12-1 PM, followed by a public witness on the plaza from 1-2 PM. Watch Instagram accounts for G92 and Ohio Immigrant Alliance for live video snapshots.
Springfield has become ground zero for the collision between federal immigration policy and a community that had been building new lives, filling jobs, and strengthening a city that was losing population. Since the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, Springfield's Haitian-American residents — once welcomed by employers and neighbors — have been thrust into an impossible situation: unable to work legally, unable to drive, and facing the constant threat of detention and deportation to a country the U.S. State Department itself warns Americans not to visit due to kidnapping, murder, and gang violence.
This is not a standard rally. Unshackle Springfield is organized as a shared meal — breaking bread together — followed by a public faith witness. The format reflects how the community has actually been responding: through mutual support, through churches, and through showing up for one another.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Unshackle Springfield Potluck and Faith Witness
When: Sunday, August 30, 2026, 12-2pm ET
Where: Springfield City Hall Plaza, 20 South Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502
Format: Shared meal (12–1 PM), public witness (1–2 PM) — attendees are encouraged to bring food to share and non-alcoholic beverages if they are able to, but all are welcome regardless
Prints for Justice and a Better World
Prints for Justice and a Better World by Saad Ghosn
An art exhibit of selected woodcut prints that reflect Saad's views and beliefs for a just and peaceful world, also his messages toward a possible social change, for a better society and a better world. These prints on social justice reflect on the prevalent social and political situation in the United States and the World and state Saad's discontent with power-based politics and with the decaying values of our society.
August 30 - October 30, 2026
First Unitarian Universalist Church
536 Linton St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
fundraiser for Gem City Action
Save the Date for our August meet up at Old Scratch Pizza in Dayton.
Tell the folks at check out that you’re supporting Gem City Action and Old Scratch will doante 20% of food sales to GCA!
ICE Out of CAK!
Join the voices speaking out against deportation flights currently leaving from Akron-Canton Regional Airport!
Our message is NOT HERE, NOT ANYWHERE.
More than Paradise: Stories from the Caribbean works by Jimena
I am delighted to share that I will be having a Pop Up event showing a compilation of my documentary work for the last ten years visiting my homeland in the Mexican Caribbean, Cuba and Colombia. I will also be sharing in some shape pieces of my journals, impressions of being in these beautiful, yet complex and layered places.
Every photograph for sale will be paired with a work of literature by a writer representing the Caribbean and its Diasporas. Part of the proceeds will be distributed to the Ohio Haitian Community.
I hope to see so many of you there.
Excited to share this body of work, and for such a cause.
More than Paradise: stories from the Caribbean works by Jimena Horta
@ Hexagon Books
Sunday, July 26th, 2-5 pm
Weekly Appeals to Butler County Commissioners
Join Us for our one-year anniversary of weekly appeals to the BC commissioners to end the ICE contract
July 21, 2026
Government Services Building
315 High Street Hamilton , Ohio 45011
9:00 AM Vigil - 2nd flr Govt. Serv. Bldg
9:30 AM Pack the House - Commissoners’ Chambers 11:00 AM Demonstration - High St. and MLK,Jr. Blvd. 11:30 AM March to BC Jail - with fresh fruit for detainees
butlercountyimmigrantjustice@gmail.com
Walk For Immigrant Justice
All are welcome at this prayerful walk in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters. The walk will take place rain or shine.
For those unable to walk, there will be a stationary opportunity.
As this is a prayerful walk, please no signs.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Walk begins & ends at Holy Angels Parish
1322 Brown St, Dayton, OH 45409
For more information:
A project of the Bread of Life Family of Parishes,
Spiritus Community, and the
University of Dayton Center for Social Concern
Springfield Stands With Immigrants Rally
Indivisible Springfield is hosting a rally in the courtyard outside of City Hall to show support for our Haitian loved ones, friends, and neighbors.
Bring your signs, voices, energy, and friends!
"Ohio Is My Second Country" Concert & Book Presentation
OIA is back at Columbus Arts Festival for another celebration of culture and humanity. At this FREE event, Mauritanian-American pop star Salif Sarr will perform some of his greatest hits. Shema Asifiwe will present his new coloring book, "Ohio Is My Second Country," and Demba Ndiath will read from his forthcoming book, "From Welcome to Deportation."
Statewide Action for Justice & Accountability
Between May 23 and 30, communities across Ohio are coming together for a statewide week of interfaith vigils in solidarity with people held in civil immigration detention (a.k.a. ICE jail). Faith leaders, organizers, and community members will raise their voices, hold space for reflection, and stand in collective action. This coordinated week of action calls for:
An end to ICE detention
Transparency on detention facility funding
An end to 287(g) agreements
Vigils may include interfaith prayers, brief speaking programs, and peaceful reflection with signs and candles. Attend a vigil near you, or organize one in your own area to be part of this statewide effort!
Coventry Village Author Series presents: Lynn Tramonte
Join Coventry Village Library and Mac’s Backs Books for an evening with local author Lynn Tramonte as she discusses her book, Broken Hope: Deportation and the Road Home, as well as more recent projects on the topic of immigration and deportation. Broken Hope: Deportation and the Road Home highlights the experiences, hopes, and dreams of 255 people who were deported from the United States, as well as their loved ones.
Breaking the Silence on Domestic Violence and Trauma
The New American Cultural Center and Heart of Ohio Family Health present this community conversation about domestic and violence trauma to speak, listen, learn, and heal. The panel is hosted by Sophia Pierrelus, Founder of the New American Cultural Center.
Faithful Defiance in Time of Democratic Trials
The UUJO Spring Assembly that will be held on Saturday April 25 at First UU Columbus (93 W Weisheimer Rd, Columbus, OH 43214). The keynote speaker and workshop leader is Pablo DeJesus, The Executive Director of UUs for Social Justice in DC. Pablo's talk at 10:30 AM is titled "Faithful Defiance in Times of Democratic Trial." Pablo is an energizing and very enjoyable speaker! It is important that everyone know about this and get a chance to register. Please share this message and post it prominently.
Cbus Arts Fest Preview (Zoom)
The Zoom-based preview is designed to prepare members of the media, other content creators, and supporters and friends for OIA’s Columbus Arts Festival appearance on June 13. That day, OIA will take center stage to present a concert with Salif Sarr, and two new books by Shema Asifiwe and Demba Ndiath.
Build the Nest Training
Attend a “Build the Nest” training so you are aware of your rights when you encounter unsafe situations. Learn how to build a nest of protection for immigrants, your neighbors, and your community.
Register for this free event. Sponsored by Welcome Toledo-Lucas County, Ohio Immigrant Alliance and Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Share the event here.
ICE Defense Workshop (Cleveland)
You’re invited to join Young Latino Network, Avanzamos Unidos, and the Northeast Ohio Worker Center for an in-person ICE Defense Workshop in Cleveland. This will be a space to learn, connect, and protect one another.
Together we’ll explore:
• Your rights
• How to safely report incidents
• Practical safety and whistle techniques
Come share a meal, build knowledge, and strengthen our collective power. Register to save your spot and receive the location address.
Creative Resistance — Artivism, Technology and the Right to Dissent
Hosted by the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton, SPHR26 will take place April 9–11, 2026, as a hybrid conference, welcoming both in-person and virtual participation. Each day features a keynote, plenaries, performances, workshops and concurrent roundtable discussions. There will be exhibits set up both physically and virtually throughout the conference for participants to engage with.