A Beautiful Ghetto
Three Years Later: A Conversation About Healing

The Institute for Integrative Health and the Gordon Parks Foundation announce the upcoming exhibition and program series, A Beautiful Ghetto, Three Years Later: A Conversation About Healing, at the Institute for Integrative Health from March 15 through May 24, 2018. The exhibit will showcase photographs by Devin Allen, a social justice photographer, a fellow of the Gordon Parks Foundation, and Baltimore-native. Allen and the Institute intend to use the exhibition and program series to spark a conversation about healing the individuals and the community of Baltimore.

About the Exhibition

With a rising death count in the years following the Baltimore protests, city residents continue to feel immense pain and frustration at the current state of our city. In bringing his exhibition back to the heart of the city where he grew up, Devin Allen is focused on bringing healing back home.

 “We always spend so much time on the pain. We measure how strong we are by how much pain we can take,” Allen said. “Can we, for once, focus on how we can address our issues, get educated, and start the healing process? I want this show to be a platform to address our pain freely and heal together.”

This exhibition, which coincides with the third anniversary of the protests sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, is a part of a broader Institute initiative focused on the use of art and nature as tools for helping people recover from trauma. “Engagement in the arts has been proven to reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and aid the healing process,” said Brian Berman, MD, founder and president of the Institute for Integrative Health. “We welcome this opportunity to work with Devin on holding a sacred space for people to come together, through creative expression and open dialogue, to explore how we can heal ourselves and our city.”

The conversation of healing will take place over 10-weeks and will include an interactive exhibit that will allow visitors to express their thoughts on healing themselves and the city.

The Programming Schedule

With a firm belief that art can heal individuals and communities, the Institute is proud to partner with the Gordon Parks Foundation to bring Allen’s work home to Baltimore. During the engagement, the Institute will be offering different programs that promote health and healing.

About the Exhibition

For more information on attending the opening reception or one of our other events, click here or email us at events [at] tiih.org.