Strangers Project Comes To Strongsville Mall

STRONGSVILLE, OH — One hundred stories, from anonymous people from throughout the nation, will be displayed at Southpark Mall as part of the Strangers Project. The exhibit will go on display March 17 in the mall's upper level, in the Dillard's wing, near H&M.

Created by Brandon Doman in 2009, the Strangers Project encourages people to share their stories in an effort to help build connections between seemingly unconnected groups of people. Doman has collected more than 30,000 anonymous stories since he started his project. He has curated his Strongsville display to feature 100 stories.

"We’re living in a time where the differences between each of us are magnified,” said Doman in a press release. “I believe that what starts as a simple act of listening can be a profoundly transformative experience. Exploring the lives of the people we share space with every day who may have similar or different backgrounds to us shows how wonderfully human we all are.”

The stories featured in the display will range from the emotional to the humorous. The Stranger Project has been featured in national media, including "Elle", "People" and more.

The Strangers Project has already been on display at Great Northern Mall, in North Olmsted, since March 3. As that exhibit winds down, the Strongsville display will come to life.

Doman will actually be on-hand at the mall on March 17 for a meet-and-greet. He'll be hanging out near the exhibit from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Bringing Doman's work in is part of both Soutpark and Great Northern malls' vision of becoming a cultural hub, where customers come to shop, yes, but also take in art and community. Both malls call their project Live 360.

“We are so pleased to welcome Brandon to the Cleveland area to host his collection at two of our properties,” said David Albertson, regional director at Starwood Retail Partners. “The Strangers Project supports our overall mission in Live 360° to bring art, culture and meaningful experiences to each guest. Whether guests see the world through other people’s eyes or they find someone who had a similar experience to them, The Strangers Project creates an opportunity for the Cleveland community to connect to one another in a meaningful way.”

Photo from Google Earth