Hickory Museum of Art

A traveling exhibit on the world’s refugees takes school-age children and visitors of all ages on an inspiring, hands-on journey into the extraordinary lives of millions of children who were forced to flee their homes in conflict regions throughout the world. The exhibit, “Torn from Home: My Life as a Refugee,” gives young visitors and others an opportunity to gain a firsthand look into the often challenging realities faced by refugee children and their families, and yet experience the personal triumphs of rebuilding their lives in a new land. It showcases six exhibit areas: Home, Losing Home, Registration, Refugee Camp, Medical Clinic and Going Home.

The exhibit recreates actual refugee camp settings and features interactive multimedia. Photographs, artwork and testimonials
of refugee children from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia and Afghanistan will be on display.

Visitors enter at the camp entrance, where they will be registered and processed as a refugee. From there, visitors will walk into a replica of a refugee camp where they can learn about and imagine what daily life must be like for refugee children. The exhibit allows children to touch items found in refugee camps; hear the voices and life stories of refugee children; and engage in interactive age-appropriate educational activities on human rights.

This exhibition was created by the Lied Discovery Children's Museum in Las Vegas through the generous support of Pierre and Pam Omidyar.