"Immigrant Body: In Translation," a project by local artist Maritza Mosquera, presented voices of an American community in transition through collaborations, dialogues and installations at Artists Image Resource (AIR) on the Northside from June 5-26. It brought people together from all over the world to share individual stories of immigration and emigration within and outside the United States. Mosquera is a painter and installation artist, born in Quito, Ecudor. She uses listening as a practice in all her work including art, activism, education programs and co-counseling.

Throughout the run of the show, Mosquera facilitated community collaborations, organizing a variety of gatherings with the Alliquipa Alliance for Unity and Development, the Hill House Association, Liberty Elementary School, The Jewish American Museum of Pittsburgh, Latin American Cultural Union, Education Innovations and other groups.

During two Wednesdays in June, the collaborations had a specific focus. "Homebody: Where I was Born, Was Raised, Now Live," was an informal dialogue with individual participants who came to view the exhibition, share a snack and take part in the installation, furthering its collection of the stories of immigration or emigration to the United States, PA, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh.

At the June 16^th session, Mosquera opened by explaining the feelings and passion behind her work. "I consider myself a painter…interested in the color, shape and substance," she said. "But I’m also about collecting stories." And she’s been counseling for years. With this project, she joined her love of painting and counseling with printmaking and her love for community.

Mosquera invited people to share stories, noting that listening is an integral piece of the project. But she clarified that this participatory work of art is non-hierarchical – no patient/therapist dynamic here. Nor is it biographical, she explained – what does it feel like for you, what it’s like to be home?

For two hours participants sat and told stories. "Where is home for you?" they pondered. Peru, South Africa, Puerto Rico, The Hill, North Dakota…One participant said that he travels so much, "home is wherever I’m not…"

What do you love about Pittsburgh? Participants shared their affection for rivers, bridges, locals, front porch stoops – "where knowledge about who you is imparted and lessons are learned," one man shared. He smiled as he thought back about his summers in The Hill when his father was a minister and worked in the mills. "The older you got," he reminisced, "the higher up you sat on the stoop. Elders at the top, young ones at the bottom."

And what’s not there anymore? "The home I grew up in on Frankstown Ave," one participant recalled. She fondly relayed that her kitchen was so long you could ride a bike from one end to the other.

The group discussed family and the importance of elders in a community, and delved into identity and the ability to transcend borders and boundaries. Some shared hopes and mental heirlooms – one woman wants to pass along an open heart and open mind to her multi-racial daughters…

"Immigrant Body" is part of a multi-year series of installation works exploring ideas of personal and public closeness between people. Each uses listening as a core practice towards image making. In 1999, Mosquera began with "Dilated Body: Opening, Entering, Having" and in 2000, "Married Body: the invasion of white blood." In 2001-2002, "Men’s Lives" was the focus.

The project was created in collaboration with AIR, funded by the Multi-Cultural Arts Initiative of the Pittsburgh Foundation and supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Alliquipa Alliance for Unity and Development.

Photographic silkscreen print on rag paper. Stretches across 3 walls. (Both photos by Marie Skoczylas)

Mosquera (far right) facilitates as participants in "Homebody" sit in a circle and share stories.