Artist Matti Havens is having a show at LP and he wants YOUR opinion.

The volatile issue of immigration and the American Dream is a core component of the American ethos. Our past, present and future is a continually changing population mixed by subsequent waves of people who bring their energy, new ideas and cultures and work tirelessly. Where would we, as a nation of immigrants, be without them? Through interviews and portraits artist Matti Havens seeks to show some of the reasons people come to this country and how they have enriched our culture by their presence and knowledge.

Matti is looking for participants from all countries and ages. The interviews will be as long as the participant wishes them to last and simply edited and presented on monitors with DVD players and headphones at an exhibition at LP Gallery in LIC at the end of March.

In order to participate please call Matti Havens at mmattihav@hotmail.com.

Matti Havens was born in the Netherlands and raised in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  He has lived, studied and/or worked in Ecuador, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland and Poland. His experiences abroad have formed the basis of his artistic expression, his work draws on cultural differences and the varied perceptions of the USA. Mr. Havens holds an MFA in Sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He currently lives in Sunnyside, Queens, and works as an ESOL instructor in Flushing.