"Don Doll, S.J. On Assignment" exhibit on display at 91吃瓜's Hillmer Art Gallery
Omaha, Neb. 鈥� 鈥淒on Doll, S.J. On Assignment,鈥� an exhibition of images taken in refugee camps around the world, will be on display in 91吃瓜鈥檚 Hillmer Art Gallery beginning Monday, Oct. 26 鈥� Friday, Dec.18. A reception with Fr. Doll will be held on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 5:30 鈥� 7:30 p.m. The exhibition comprises images of refugees from Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Darfur, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Congo, Uganda, Chad and Jordan, as well as landmine victims in Angola and Bosnia, and child soldiers in Uganda and Chad. Admission is free and open to the public.
Fr. Doll, whose work has been featured in 鈥淣ational Geographic鈥� magazine, has traveled the globe 鈥渢o tell the stories of people who have no voice.鈥� For the last 20 years he has documented the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service in some 50 countries, serving the poorest of the poor 鈥� men, women and children forced to leave their homes and often their countries.
One 鈥淥n Assignment鈥� image travels to Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, where Doll walked through the Mugunga Refugee camp which houses more than 100,000 people fleeing violence. 鈥淚t was gut-wrenching to view men or women rubbing their stomachs or putting a hand to their mouth indicating their hunger,鈥� said Father Doll.
Other images give insight into violence in Gulu, Uganda, where Doll photographed 18-year-old Nancy Auma with her baby, Alolyo. 鈥淚 have survived,鈥� she told the photographer in the language of her native Acholi, where child soldiers cut off her nose, lips and ears, saying, 鈥淲e have no use for you, a pregnant woman.鈥�
Doll is a Jesuit priest and professor emeritus of photojournalism at Creighton University, where he holds the Charles and Mary Heider Endowed Jesuit Chair. Among his awards are: the Kodak Crystal Eagle Award for Impact in Photojournalism in recognition of his work with Native people; Nikon鈥檚 World Understanding through Photography Award; Photographic Society of America鈥檚 highest photojournalism award; Nebraska Arts Council鈥檚 Nebraska Artist of the Year; Chief Standing Bear Organizational Award; and the Word-Sender Award from the Neihardt Foundation Center.
In addition to 鈥淣ational Geographic鈥� magazine, a number of 鈥淒ay in the Life鈥� books have featured Doll鈥檚 work, including 鈥淎尘别谤颈肠补鈥�, 鈥淐补濒颈蹿辞谤苍颈补鈥�, 鈥泪迟补濒测鈥�, 鈥泪谤别濒补苍诲鈥�, 鈥淧assage to Vietnam鈥�, 鈥淐hristmas in America鈥� and 鈥淎merica at Home鈥�. His photographs also have been published in 鈥淐rying for a Vision鈥�; 鈥淰ision Quest: Men, Women and Sacred Sites of the Sioux Nation鈥�; and 鈥淎 Call to Vision: A Jesuit鈥檚 Perspective on the World.鈥� He appears in Don Doll鈥檚 Vision Quest, an award-winning documentary produced by NET Television, Nebraska Public Television.
