Amara Hark Weber, a 2005 graduate of Bard College in history and African studies, is passionate about bridging cultural gaps and misunderstandings, and feels strongly that the best way to mend cultural rifts is to hear individual stories and voices. While at Bard, she undertook several study abroad programs, including an intensive independent study of textiles in Ghana and a human rights program in Cape Town, South Africa.
Beyond her academic work in history, Amara has a strong background in bookbinding, surface design, woodworking, and blacksmithing. She is interested in the ways that the material, social, and historical worlds intertwine to influence our everyday lives. By working with artisans and craftspeople around the world, Amara has formed a unique appreciation of the ways that our material cultures affect us.
In September 2005, Amara moved to Durham, North Carolina, to enroll in the Certificate in Documentary Studies program at CDS. Using her newfound knowledge, she spent the summer of 2006 in Kumasi, Ghana, developing a series of audio postcards as well as portraits of female traders in the Kejitia Market.
As a Lewis Hine Fellow, Amara worked with Schedia in Greece on a variety of audio and photography projects that explore the lives of recent Muslim immigrant children.
To learn more about Amara’s work to date, visit:
http://amara-harkweber.blogspot.com/
http://documentarystudies.duke.edu/projects/hine/gallery/amara-hark-weber