Wild Women Read and Write

This came from Katherine Burkman who was active with the now defunct Women at Play

A group that grew out of WOMEN AT PLAY, who call themselves WILD WOMEN WRITING, which is what they are, will give a free reading of their work, April 10th at The Upper Arlington Library, 2800 Tremont Rd., in the library's basement theatre. You are cordially invited to attend.

Best, Patricia Ake, Katherine Burkman, Anne Brethauer, Carole Dale, Ann C. Hall, Susie Gerald, and Laura Zakin (the wild women)

ragazine.cc update

Mike Foldes started Ragazine in Columbus in the mid 70s. Many of our friends contributed their skills, art, writings, images, etc. to help create a mind-blowing magazine that covered arts and lifestyles, considered by many to be way ahead of it's time. Mike (and Margo) moved on a number of years ago, ending in upstate NY. Years went by, the internet, websites and blogs were invented, and Ragazine cc was started.

The images below are contributions to ragazine by Columbus photographer Larry Hamill,

and former resident photographer Valerie Brown.

Check out the website and blog

Ubaka Hill performs and leads workshops in Columbus

This post was submitted by my friend Wahru, a gifted and talented drummer and invites readers to a series of workshops and a promised energetic performance. - charlie

Ubaka Hill (oo-BAH-ka) ~ an authentic, energetic performer, composer, songwriter, recording artist, motivational speaker, conference weaver, teacher and facilitator of hand drumming workshops for more than 25 years throughout the United States. Her soul-vision and intention is to facilitate and inspire personal transformation, empowerment, healing and joy with music that moves you.

Ubaka's Workshop and Performance Schedule and Cost

$15 Friday night workshop only Women and men

$50 Friday night workshop (2 hrs), Satruday workshop (6 hrs with breaks), Saturday night concert included [Saturday workshop is women only]

$40 - Saturday workshop (6 hrs with breaks), Satruday night concert included. Saturday workshop is women only]

$25 - Friday night workshop and Saturday night concert Women and Men

$15 - Saturday night concert Only Women and Men

Schedule
Friday, April 18, 7 to 9 PM
Saturday, April 19, 10 AM to 4 PM with a lunch break
Saturday, April 19, 8-10 Concert

Last note: We are almost ready for ticket sales, etc. We still need to do some things on our end and get certain things from Ubaka. Also, We have decided to have the workshops and the concert at Broad Stree Christian Church, 1049 East Broad Street [21st and Broad]. It has an elevator which makes it assessible. I'm just trying to keep you up on the information.
www.broadstreetcc.org

This is a benefit for Lesbian Health News: www.ohiowomeninc.org/orgs/lhn.html

B. 'Wahru' Cleveland

Check her website out, where you will find sound samples of her recordings and you can purchase her CD:

www.ubakahill.com

Ralph Rosenfield updates his food reviews

Ralph Rosenfield has submitted food and restaurant reviews to "innerart" for a few years now. I love his unbridled entusiasm at reliving his favorite eating eating experiences. Always a joy. -charlie

Up-Date

I think you may know how Jan and I love ice cream. We don’t actually believe it is a food group but it is close. So it may not come as a surprise to you that we really love Jeni’s Ice Creams. Her skills at combining flavors and textures are in our view unrivaled and we have been fans of hers since she opened it the North Market a few years ago. Our favorites are; Queen City Cayenne, Dark Coffee, and Dark Chocolate Zinfandel Gelato. So when she recently offered a Lapsang Souchong with Armagnac Prunes we had to get some.

We had invited some friends for dinner and had decided to serve the Lapsang Souchong, and the Queen City Cayenne for part of the desert. So when it was time I went to our freezer and pulled out what I thought was the Ice Cream. I found the Queen City. But I couldn’t find the Lapsang Souchong, so I pulled out one that was labeled (in black marker) H&B. The texture of the H&B didn’t seem right, and on tasting it our guests were sure. I, being stubborn continued to try it and eventually ate the whole portion I had scooped out. It was a lot like ham and beans. We all thought that the nice people at Jeni’s had made a mistake and had given me a failed experiment with Ham and Bean ice cream. The next day I returned the ice cream to Jeni’s and they gave me a pint of the Lapsang Souchong.I told them about getting This Ham & Bean stuff, and asked if it might have been some sort of experiment. The person I talked with thought it was more likely to be somebody’s lunch. I went home put the ice cream in our freezer and discovered a fresh pint of Lapsang Souchong… The ham & bean had been ours. I returned to Jeni’s some days later and tried to explain the mix up. I was told they liked the story the way it was, and that I shouldn’t worry about “making it right”

Due Amici; 67 East Gay Street

Due Amici has been open about four years now. Jan and I have been there frequently enjoying the sidewalk dinning, their pizza’s, salads and drinks. In many ways it is a lot like Kent Rigsby’s old K2U, a fun place to go with a group of friends and have a good time with great drinks and good grub. This isn’t a review but I was there a week ago and realized that we had not done one. So I just wanted to tell you this is a neat place and you should go. When your there, ask for Jeff’s special “Meatballs and Pepper” dish I think you may enjoy it. The special of Sea Bass that passed by me the evening I was there looked great, and smelled better. Whoever ordered it was lucky it got by me.

We will do a real review of Due Amici, Latitude 41 and Black Creek Bistro later. Till then enjoy some of the great owner/chef places to eat here in Columbus, you won’t be disappointed.

Theodicy a free staged reading at OSU' Urban Space (former Lazarus department store) on Tuesady, March 11

Judy Juanita’s Theodicy will be presented in a free staged reading at the Ohio State University College of the Arts Urban Arts Space on Tuesday, March 11^th, at noon. The Urban Arts Space is in the former Lazarus Department Store, on the corner of High Street and State Street. The entrance is on State Street between High and Front.

Theodicy features a cast of veteran Columbus actors, including Patrica Wallace-Winbush, Truman Winbush, Anita Davis, and Darius Williams. An imaginative and epic retelling of the African-American experience, Theodicy is the first runner-up in the 2007 Eileen Heckart Drama for Seniors Competition. Playwright Judy Juanita, a resident of Oakland, California, has been produced by the San Francisco Mime Troupe, the San Francisco Bay Area Playwights’ Center, the National Black Theatre Festival, the Julia Morgan Theatre in Berkeley, California, and San Francisco’s Marsh Café and Brava! Theatre, among many others. She has been an artist-in-the schools in New Jersey, and is a widely published poet as well as playwright.

Over five hundred plays were submitted to the 2007 Eileen Heckart Drama for Seniors Competition. The competition honors Columbus native (and Ohio State alumna) Eileen Heckart (1919-2001), the distinguished American actress whose long career culminated in her stunning performance in Kenneth Lonergan=s The Waverly Gallery (2000), for which she received the Drama Desk Award, Obie Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award. That same year she was awarded the Tony for lifetime achievement. She also was the recipient of an Academy Award (Butterflies Are Free), Golden Globe (The Bad Seed) and an Emmy (Save Me A Place at Forest Lawn). She was recognized with a Margo Jones Medal in 2000 for her long championing of new plays, having appeared in almost thirty world premiere productions.

As a side note: March 11th is the 49th anniversary of the premiere of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, the first play by an African-American woman writer to be produced on Broadway.

This message came from:
Alan Woods, Coordinator
The Eileen Heckart Drama for Seniors Competition
The Jerome Lavvrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute
The Ohio State University
1430 Lincoln Tower
1800 Cannon Drive
Columbus, OH 43210-1230
614 292-6614 office
614 688-8417 fax
614 282-6104 viator

Larry Hamill Recent Photo Images

My friend Larry Hamill is an amazing photographer who shoots images all over the world and never ceases to amaze me. See for yourself. He sent us these recent pics, just a small sample of his huge collection of stock images, and asks that you visit his website: www.larryhamill.com to see more. Check it out. You will like it!
charlie

Tom Radca & Brenda McMahon Pottery Weekend in North Ohio rustic studio/Barn

Nationally known artists Tom Raca and Brenda McMahon invite a select group of ceramic artists, ranging from polished and established to emerging and wanabees, to experience a unique weekend of intensive hands-on ceramic techniques, taught in a serenely beautiful section of Northern Ohio farmland surrounded by woods and rolling hills.

The instructions take place in the barn/studio, near the horse stalls, and the large walk-in kilns. Delicious informal meals, served throughout the weekend, generate stimulating conversations that inevitably create unique bonds of camaraderie among all participant

Please check out their websites and especially their blog: http://mcmahon-radca.blogspot.com/


-charlie

LARGE & L O O S E

Polished & Poetic

Throwing Large Platters & Saggar Firing

At the Studios of:

Tom Radca & Brenda McMahon

Port Washington, OH 43837.
740.498.4303 or 518.796.4207
www.TomRadca.com or www.Bluemoonclay.com
tom@tomradca.com or Brenda@BlueMoonClay.com

Throwing Large Platters & Saggar Firing Workshop

2 full days - demonstration & hands on firing intensive - $275

Date: May 17 & 18, 2008 (Sat & Sun) 10 – 5pm

Bring 1 – 3 small pots to include in the saggar firing.

This 2-day demonstration and firing intensive workshop is open to potters of all
skill levels from beginner to advanced. We will have 2 components to the weekend.

1. Throwing Large.
How much clay can you comfortably center at once? Is it 4lbs, 6lbs or 10lbs? Whatever you can comfortably center, Tom will teach you how to double and triple the amount of clay you can center and give you techniques on throwing that clay. Large and Loose is relative. If you throw 4 or 6lbs comfortably, learn to throw 12 in just one day. If you throw 12lbs comfortably, you’re ready to jump up to 24lbs. Tom regularly centers and throws 36lbs of clay, resulting is his dynamic 30” diameter platters. Throwing Large is for everyone – and we all know sometimes size does matter.

2. Polished & Poetic.
Brenda’s throwing, burnishing and saggar firing is about refinement and surface texture. Saggar firing is a contemporary pitfire process whereby Brenda uses natural materials, mineral salts and the chemistry of art and fire to create soft blushes on her burnished vessels. In this firing intensive section of the workshop, you will learn the philosophy and technique of saggar firing and how to build and fire a saggar kiln. Each participant is welcome to put 1 to 3 of his or her own pieces in the firing. Brenda gives throwing demonstrations, surface treatment, including burnishing & terra-sig as well as finishing techniques on the final saggar pieces. Please bring 1-3 small bisque fired pots to put in the saggar kiln.

Cost of the weekend is $275. Affordable housing options are available.
More info? 740.498.4303 or 518.796.4207
www.TomRadca.com or www.Bluemoonclay.com
tom@tomradca.com or Brenda@BlueMoonClay.com

TASI

Reviewed by Ralph Rosenfield

TASI
“Fresh. Seasonal. Local”

We have been big Rigsby’s fans since Rigsby’s Cuisine Volatile opened in what, in the restaurant world, could be considered “millenia” ago. Over the years Rigsby’s has consistently delivered what we have come to believe is the best food in the city, day in, day out. With reasonable pricing on their wines and a varied and regularly updated menu to tempt us Rigsby’s can be counted on for a great dining experience. And now the Rigsby’s have done it again! Their newest venture, TASI, has already become a new favorite for us.



TASI. What a breath of fresh air! This small gem is located in the former “Pistachio” location on Pearl Alley in the Short North, between Lincoln and Russell. I had lunch at TASI one day recently, returned with Jan for dinner the same evening, then Jan had lunch at TASI the next day and we both went back for dinner that night, as well. Do you think we like the place?



Several of TASI’s larger family style tables encourage shared dining with other patrons, which we were fortunate enough to enjoy with Steve Stover and his wife Mary on one of our dinner visits and with our Buggyworks neighbors Rick and Merry on our second dinner visit. Steve is well known locally as a great foodie and reviewer, so he and I had a good time exchanging our almost entirely favorable impressions of the several menu items we ended up sharing. And Merry and Rick were in the sharing mode also, so we have now tried a pretty broad selection of TASI’s offerings. What follows is our take on what we think may be the next “IN” place to go.



We should first say that this is not a small menu. It lists no less than ten breakfast items, which are happily served ALL day long. Lunch begins at 11am with at least 15 items available through the 9pm closing time. We counted seven soups and salad items, 16 side dishes, multiple bread selections, at least seven desserts and about 10 take-home meal options. And several daily specials to boot! I’m exhausted just writing all that down!



We haven’t found anything we DIDN’T enjoy, so we’ll touch on a few of our favorites and leave it to you to discover the rest.



Sourdough Pancakes with sweet and spicy bacon and Ohio maple syrup @$7.00. Two plate-sized pancakes that are probably the lightest I have ever enjoyed. The flavor is distinctly sourdough and nothing is better on pancakes than “real” maple syrup. The bacon could have been a bit warmer for my taste, but it was full of flavor.



Huevos Rancheros with Queso Fresco Tortilla @$7.00. Another home run, this dish is comprised of two poached eggs (next time I will ask for slightly less done) over a fresh bed of salsa and a warm tortilla. Could this be Mexico?



Cinnamon Danish @$2.95. Be careful - this is an addictive delight. Doughy, alive with cinnamon flavor, and sinful when served warm with extra butter.



Meatloaf, Grilled Onions, Homemade Ketchup, Horseradish Mayo @ $9.00. I was lusting after this sandwich from the moment I so rudely peered over the shoulders of Steve and Mary seated at a large family-size table. Not known for being shy or standoffish, my obvious interest prompted Steve to graciously offer me a taste. What else could he do to stop my drooling? With veal, pork and beef in the mix, it was full-flavored and sized just right to be filling but not overly so.



Fries with Reggiano and Pepper Flake @$3.00. TASI sets the new standard in French Fries with this supreme side. Hot, crispy, fresh (not frozen) potatoes, cut and combined with the grilled onion and reggiano, they are simply the best! No ketchup needed here.



Potato Latkes with Chives and Sour Cream @$2.95; add Smoked Salmon for an extra $3.00. The Latkes are better than my Jewish grandmother ever managed and she made REALLY GOOD latkes!



Open Faced “Zoe” Tuna Sandwich with capers, relish, onions, and hard boiled egg @$6.00. The best canned tuna ever! This is a wonderfully fresh, light and perfectly prepared tuna salad – a simple, yet highly satisfying “comfort food” experience.



Lobster Mac and Cheese @$10.00. Lobster and Mac and cheese? What were Kent and Tasi drinking when they came up with this? It wasn’t water. But this IS a GREAT combination. Real cheese, creamy sauce, fresh lobster and a perfectly browned top jump up and demand that you pay attention.



Finish your meal with home-style cookies, cream pie or chocolate pudding, and you’ll leave feeling satisfied and looking forward to your NEXT visit to this warm and homey addition to our local dining scene.



Are you convinced? Go ahead and give it a try. At such friendly prices (including the wine at just one penny over retail!) you just can’t go wrong.

Turber House 2008 Winter/Sring Evenings With Authors

This press release is from Turber House.
77 Jeffer son Avenue
Contact : Missie Kendall
Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-464-1032 ext . 1 1
www.thurberhouse.org

Tuesday, January 15: Kurt Anderson
Heyday
Columbus School for Girls, 56 S. Columbia Ave. 7:30 PM

Kurt Anderson is the author of Turn of the Century, a New York Times Notable Book. He will read from his newest novel and New York Times bestseller Heyday, a brilliantly imagined, immensely entertaining tale of America’s boisterous coming of age in the 19th century.

Friday, February 8: John Burnham Schwartz
The Commoner
Canzani Center (CCAD) 7:30 PM

Jonathan Burnham Schwartz is the author of three novels, Claire Marvel, Bicycle Days and Reservation Road, currently a film. He will read from his new novel, The Commoner, a mesmerizing story of the first non-aristocrat to marry a Crown Prince of Japan and enter one of the most mysterious monarchies in the world.





Monday, February 25: Lee Woodruff
In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing
Columbus School for Girls, 56 S. Columbia Ave. 7:30 PM

Lee Woodruff, with her husband, Bob Woodruff, tell their amazing story in the New York Times best seller, In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing. Theirs is a story of courage and resilience after Bob’s critical injury in Iraq while anchoring a broadcast for ABC News. Despite the trauma and fear, the Woodruffs’ love, perseverance, and even humor led to the creation of the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury.











Wednesday, March 12: Mary Doria Russel l
Dreamers of the Day
Columbus Performing Art Center, 549 Franklin Avenue 7:30 PM

Mary Doria Russell is the award-winning author of four novels, including The Sparrow, Children of God, and A Thread of Grace, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She will read from her latest novel Dreamers of the Day, about the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference when a handful of British diplomats, oil executives and military men invented the modern Middle East.

Monday, April 28: Joanne Harris
The Girl with No Shadow
Columbus Performing Art Center, 549 Franklin Avenue 7:30 PM

Although Joanne Harris has written over a dozen books, including Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange and Holy Fools and The French Kitchen: A Cookbook. She is best known for Chocolat which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She will read from her eagerly-anticipated sequel, The Girl with No Shadow, a dazzling urban fairy tale set in Paris five years after Chocolat. Harris is the author of several novels including Blackberry Wine.

Thursday, June 5: Nancy Horan
Loving Frank
Columbus Museum of Art, 480 East Broad Street 7:30 PM

In her debut novel, Loving Frank, Nancy Horan brilliantly blends fact and fiction into an unforgettable story of the long-lived love affair between Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright – a union that would shock Chicago society and forever change their lives. Drawing on years of research and weaving in little-known facts, Horan reveals the profound influence that Cheney had on Wright, and delivers a fitting tribute to a courageous woman, a national icon, and their timeless love story.

Jazz Holiday Events at Columbus Music Hall

Friday, December 21, 8:00
Red Hot Holiday Stomp
Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra opening at 7:30
Todd Stoll Septet

Saturday, December 22, 8:00 p.m.
Musical Holiday Treats with the
Mark Flugge Trio featuring Derek DiCenzo on guitar, steel pan, and other surprises!

*PBJ & Jazz on December 22 at 11:00a.m
early performance for kids and families with
the Mark Flugge Trio and Derek DiCenzo
PBJ sandwiches, cookie, juice for kids, coffee for adults!


Vaughn Wiester Famous Jazz Orchestra
Off for Christmas eve, New Year's Eve and the OSU bowl game on Jan.7
Back on January 14

Every Wednesday, 9:00
Yumbambé

_______________________________________________
Jazz mailing list
Jazz@columbusmusichall.com
http://columbusmusichall.com/mailman/listinfo/jazz_columbusmusichall.com

Studio Stu Featured on new Cd, JASS

This was sent by my eccentric friend from Kingston New York, in the Hudson valley. Master of the Studivarious wash-tub bass, Stu and the Trio Loco play an amazing lounge/jazz evocative sound.
So, listen to their sample tunes. Check out their website, order the Cd from iTunes, or look into the MySpace link. _ charlie

Hello, my friends...I am thrilled to announce that the new TRIO LOCO CD, 'JASS' has been released and is now available to buy, both as a hard copy and as a digital download, from two of my favorite on-line music stores, CD Baby & iTunes.

Below are the links to CD Baby, and a direct link to iTunes, although, you can just go to the iTunes store and search for , 'Trio Loco Jass'. And, for those in the Hudson Valley who actually wanna go into a store and walk out with a copy, can go to Blue Byrd Hats & Blues, Uptown Kingston, or Rino Records in New Paltz.

I also invite you to go to our webpage or to our myspace page, and check out the music and the band...all the links are listed below.

And if you're gonna be near Albany this Wednesday Evening, November, 7, Trio Loco will be performing at Justin's.

So, now you can have us on CD, digitally on-line, walk-in and buy, or see us live...and stay tuned for our CD release parties in New York City, and Kingston, NY...hope to see you our there, and thank you for supporting independent musicians.

All ways, sTuDIo.
www.studiostu.biz

CD Baby http://cdbaby.com/cd/trioloco

Open iTunes and search for 'Trio Loco Jass'

iTunes Direct http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=265737010

Trio Loco Site www.studiostu.biz/trioloco

Trio Loco Myspace www.myspace.com/triolocojass

WEDNESDAY, NOV, 7 9-MIDNIGHT
TRIO LOCO; MARK DZIUBA, STUDIO STU, DEAN SHARP
JUSTIN'S ON LARK
301 LARK STREET
ALBANY, NY 518.436.7008
www.justinsonlark.com

Holiday Studio Open House and Art Sale in Olde Towne East, December 9

Sunday December 9, from 1 to 5pm

Enjoy a cup of holiday cheer in any of 5 studios exhibiting the works of 7 individual artists in Olde Towne East studios!

1. Gail Larned & Eric Marlow 144 S. Monroe Ave.
2. Roger Williams 108 S. Eighteenth
3. Ralph Williams 108 S. Eighteenth
4. Tom Sherman & Judy Sagara 910 Franklin Ave.
5. Harry Wozniak 994 Franklin Ave.

While shopping. explore the exciting architectural environments where these unique artist’s dens are located.

Ralph Williams

Eric Marlow

Judy Sagara

Gail Larned

Roger Williams

Harry Wozniak

Tom Sherman

Shooting Community Images with Abdi Roble and Steven Katzman

COMMUNITY IMAGES:

A Day With Steven Katzman & Abdi Roble

Event Description: Spend a day with Steven Katzman & Abdi Roble's discussion and shooting "Community Images" in Columbus, Ohio. We will meet at the Central Ohio Community House at 10:00 A.M. where there will be a power-point presentation and discussion by Steven & Abdi. An on-location studio will be set up to shoot images of the community. We will return to Midwest Photo Exchange at 3:00 P.M. for an Event Special Sale and to receive your free coupon for your selected image of the day's event.

When: 10:00 Friday November 9, 2007

Where: Meet at the Central Ohio Community House
1150 East Main St.
Columbus, Ohio 43202
(If you get lost call Stu at 614-390-9940)|
Return to Midwest Photo at 3:00 P.M. for a special EVENT SALE and presentation of a FREE coupon for an 11x14 image of one of your Community Images.

Cost: $25 (Comes with a free coupon for an 11x14 image of one of your Community images) Enrollment limited to 25 participants.

Registration: Call Lynn at Midwest Photo Exchange 614-261-1264

Main Sponsors: Bogen Imaging and Midwest Photo Exchange

Steven Katzman: Steven Katzman graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay cum laude (Modernization Processes) in 1973. A self-taught photographer, Mr. Katzman established Steven Katzman Photography, LLC in 1990. He has received numerous awards in photography including: a three year Professional Photography Division Corporate Grant, Polaroid Corporation Artist Grant, and an Ilford Corporate Grant. Mr. Katzman has exhibited his photographs in numerous galleries and museums in the US and internationally. His recent book, "The Face of Forgiveness, Salvation and Redemption", PowerHouse books, was featured in the New York Art Directions Guild. Mr. Katzman was also interviewed on CNN. PBS has documented his current project: "A Portrait of Newtown, an African-American community in Sarasota, Fl." Mr. Katzman has been on the faculty at the Ringling School of Art and Design since 2003, where he developed the advanced digital imaging syllabus. He is a Lexar Elite Photographer, an X-Rite Coloratti, and is sponsored by Bogen Imaging, Hahnemuhle FineArt, and Eizo. Mr. Katzman is currently a technical editor for After Capture Magazine.

Abdi Roble: Known for his sincere and generous personality by friends and colleagues alike, Abdi is a well-respected photographer in Columbus, Ohio. Abdi is a native of Mogadishu, Somalia. He came to the United States in 1989.
Abdi became a freelance photographer in 1994. His work has appeared in the Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Post, Photographers Forum Magazine, La Voz Hispana, and Leica View Magazine.
For Abdi, photography has become a most adequate means for documenting the lives of people from all corners of the world. His fascination with people of various cultural backgrounds can be seen in several of his works, which appear almost to “come alive” in a dazzling array of color and light. As he continues to explore the world of photography, he wants to share his experiences with the greater Columbus community.
"My interest in people from different cultures has taken me to places beyond my imagination. As a photo journalist, I am always meeting new friends. There are few language barriers between the subject and me because we share the same experiences. I rarely see my subject a second time, so capturing that singular moment in time is sacred. I am always searching for that next moment not knowing what to expect, yet the unexpected always happens. I have to be able to translate my feeling onto the negative, the only tool I have to capture that moment, my camera."

Abdi's "Somali Documentary Project" uses photography to produce an archival record of the members of the Somali Diaspora while they continue to engage in the cultural practices of their homeland."The Somali Documentary Project" has a three-pronged goal:To archive a record of the community before assimilation, to educate and create understanding within the host community, and to draw international attention to current events in Somalia. Throughout 2006 and into 2007, Arts Midwest and Roble enriched and extended "The Somali Documentary Project" by focusing on Minneapolis/St. Paul and greater Minnesota. Minneapolis/St. Paul is home to the highest number of Somali immigrants in the United States; the second highest is Columbus, Ohio. Roble spent four months in residency in Minnesota, taking more than 10,000 photographs in an effort to create an archival record for the Minnesota Somali community while opening the doors to community dialogue, engagement, and cultural acceptance. Roble and writer Doug Rutledge also spent one month as artists-in-residence at Utah Medical Academy, part of the International Education Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A retrospective of Abdi's images is currently on disply at the Columbus Museum of Art.