Neighbors
Story by Zachary Brown, Tyler Riedman, & Yeeun Yen
A University of Sioux Falls senior has pursued a unique “abroad” opportunity – without ever leaving Sioux Falls. For her senior art show, Denise Ferguson combines her artistic talent with her compassion for refugees by investing in the local Somali population.
Ferguson, who has a double major in Theology and Art with an emphasis in painting, had a senior show from February 3rd to 26th titled “Neighbors.” She was selected not only because of her great art works, but also because of the meaning behind them. Her show was about the Somali refugee population and culture in Sioux Falls, SD. All of her paintings are based on photographs she took during times spent with her Somali friends. It started by volunteering with a mentoring program to help refugee members to settle in. Originally, Ferguson says she had desired to study abroad and her senior art show would be based on that experience. “But timing was not right,” Ferguson says, “So I decided to pursue an ‘abroad’ experience right here in Sioux Falls, SD.”
Ferguson says the title of her show, “Neighbors” can be explained in three different aspects: locally, globally, and spiritually.
“Locally, we are neighbors, because we have almost 1800 Somali neighbors in Sioux Falls who help contribute to our community in various ways,” she said. Also, in a global sense, she says the Somalian community in Sioux Falls is a neighbor because these two different cultures, Sioux Falls and Somali, can connect each other easily through the means of technology.
“Finally, we are neighbors in God’s eyes,” Ferguson says. “In Mark 12:30-31, it says that the first commandment is to love the Lord your God with everything that you are, but then also says that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.” Ferguson says she questioned what this meant for her and says we have great opportunities to seek understanding personally between our different cultures by meeting each other in person and spending time together right here in Sioux Falls.
When she was preparing for her show, Ferguson says she was inspired by an African proverb: “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk with others.”
“It really resonated with me,” she says. Whenever she went shopping with the Somali women, they were never in a rush as she was, so she had to intentionally slow down and enjoy waling with them.
“Some of my favorite memories are those times of shopping, cooking, and eating together – things that took time and allowed for being in each other’s company. We did not rush, but we still got done what needed to be done,” she says.
Ferguson says that ever since she was little, she has always been interested in other cultures. She can remember when family hosted Chinese exchange student and she thought it was very neat to meet him, to hear his language, and to experience his part of the world. Since then, she says she has craved the opportunity to be immersed in another culture.
“It was a wonderful opportunity when I was able to live with a student from South Korea for a summer back in 2013,” she says. They spent time cooking, learning about each other’s cultures, language, and interests. Of course, she says it was not easy for her to learn about other cultures, but she thinks God values when we try to understand others and to learn to love them, even though it takes a lot of time and effort. She says her most precious moment was the time a Somali woman expressed to her in minimal English, “I am very happy you came today,” and “I love you.” She says her volunteering experience with another culture has changed her in the sense of becoming more aware of the world.
“It has helped me see what my culture appears like through somebody else’s eyes,” Ferguson says. Also, she added that it helped her not to assume how a person might think and feel. “Rather, it has helped me set aside my fears that were in the end self-focused and take the chance to get to know somebody else even if it puts me out of my comfort zone,” she says.
Ferguson says her purpose in the future is to seek truth, to understand, and to serve others well wherever she is.
“And right now, that is here in the community of Sioux Falls. I get direction for the future by living in the present and doing the best I can with what I know right now,” she said. She says she values different cultures, her love of art, and living out her faith.
“These three things have begun a path I am interested to continue following and to see where that takes me.”
Finally, Ferguson introduces some ways that we can help the refugee community. A good way to start naturally familiarizing is through various programs and mentoring opportunities, such as Multi-cultural Center of Sioux Falls, African Community Center of Sioux Falls(ACCSF), Lutheran Social Services, Augustana College Friendship Family program, or Center for Immigrant and Refugee Families(CIRF).
“You can also simply put yourself out there and visit restaurants and grocery stores of different cultures in your daily routine to grocery shop and eat. As you spend more time, you will see how you can further help in your community,” Ferguson says.
