Celebrating cultures

In creating an annual event that brings together local folk artists with the native art and customs of resettled refugees, the Schweinfurth Art Center gives Auburn the chance to travel to and interact with foreign cultures without driving more than 20 minutes.

Stephanie Schuster, assistant director of the art center, said that the event is not a spectacle or an exhibition of individuals' customs, but a setting for interaction.

A celebration of culture, “Exploring Beauty: Folk Arts in Central New York,” to be held Sunday, gives visitors a chance to learn and appreciate the depth of their community. The program started from a collaboration the Schweinfurth initiated with the AME Zion Thompson Memorial Church, bringing in “The Lost Boys of Sudan” and African American folk artists in a 2001 event called “Tying the Knot.”