Continuing its mission to foster belonging and amplify immigrant voices, the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History will open a multimedia exhibition this Saturday, May 6. “Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley” features unique stories from 36 neighbors who have made the Hudson Valley home. Their experiences are brought to life through oral histories, tintype portraits and the smells and tastes of beloved cuisines.

“Every aspect of 'Taking Root' is about community perspectives. Even the exhibition's title comes from one of the participants, who told us that being interviewed helped her feel she was ‘taking root’ in Kingston,” explained Reher Center Curator Dr. Sarah Gordon. “That idea of ‘roots’ inspired exhibition designer César Zapata to create a ‘forest’ of personal stories.”

“Taking Root is a perfect distillation of our work,” said Interim Executive Director Jackie Lieske. “From the seed of a collaboration with the Kingston Library, this project has grown into a community-wide effort to share our neighbor’s stories. We’re grateful to partner institutions Ulster Literacy Association, Bard College, the Culinary Institute of America and Radio Kingston for sharing in this work. Like all of our efforts, ‘Taking Root’ was made possible by our community of supporters who invest time and treasure to bring people together over culture.”

“Taking Root” will open next Saturday, May 6 at the center at 101 Broadway in Downtown Kingston with free, family-friendly activities and tours. The opening remarks and the first tour will be interpreted for Spanish speakers. Visitors can savor cultural cuisine from exhibit storytellers and local businesses Calcutta Kitchens and Top Taste.

Opening day will kick off at 11 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. After that, visitors can visit the exhibition Fridays-Sundays from 1-6 p.m. Learn more at ReherCenter.org.