Seating is limited.

Reminders of Home: A Community Pierogi Dinner & Story Sharing with Kim Kapera

Join Akron Soul Train Artist-in-Residence Kim Kapera for an intimate evening of food, memory, and storytelling on May 30 from 4–6 PM at Jilly’s Music Room. Inspired by her exhibition The Lucky Ship, this gathering invites guests to share in a traditional pierogi dinner while reflecting on the connections between food, heritage, and belonging.

“Most of my fondest memories with my grandparents center around the kitchen table, where card games, banter, and home cooked meals fed me. Making Polish food dishes that my grandparents used to cook for me was a large part of my grieving process following their death in 2020. After emigrating from Kraków in 1968, food was their way of staying connected to the people and places that had become distant. Their sense of home became my sense of home, and I continue to find ways of feeling close to them by sharing pieces of their story with others.” – Kim Kapera

RSVP required (limited seating)
Walk-ins welcome at the door with a $15 donation (supports meal costs)
Gluten-free menu (Jilly’s is a fully gluten-free kitchen)
Free parking available in nearby lots and on street.

Performance by: Bellows & Backbeat—Robert Buzecan on accordion and Bob Young on drums. 

Robert Buzecan bio: Raised in a Polish and Slovenian household steeped in polka music, Robert Buzecan has played piano and accordion since age eight and formed his first band with his brothers at fifteen. He joined CPB in 2022 after returning to music with renewed passion during the COVID era.

Bob Young bio: Youngstown native Bob Young joined The Chardon Polka Band in 2020, bringing a wide-ranging background in percussion performance, teaching, theater, drum corps, and rock music. A graduate of Youngstown State University, Bob continues to perform throughout Northeast Ohio while maintaining an active private percussion studio.

Exhibition Details:

On view through May 30, 2026

The Lucky Ship presents a visual memoir of the sacrifices Kapera’s Polish grandparents made to give her family a better life. Through photographs, multi-sensory displays, and intimate ephemera, Kapera’s The Lucky Ship explores themes of immigration, homesickness, assimilation, the grandparent and grandchild relationship, and grief.

After the loss of her grandparents, Kapera felt cut off from her cultural identity. Diving into the 1960s relics of their decision to leave Poland to emigrate to the U.S., Kapera finds clues that help her recreate stories and reconnect to her roots. The Lucky Ship is not only a tale of Kapera’s family, but a vulnerable and universal investigation of self and familial history.

About the Artist Kim Kapera:

Kim Kapera (she/her) is a photographer and mixed media artist. She was selected for Kent State University’s Spring 2026 DI Creatives-In-Residence Program and is one of Akron Soul Train’s 2026 artists-in-residence. Her passion for stories and culture has most recently been pursued through the lens of her Polish heritage. She is interested in collecting memories from the Polish diaspora and using traditional Polish folk art in modern applications. Her work explores themes of nostalgia, identity, and loss. Kim studied photojournalism and French at Ohio University and holds a bachelor’s degree in visual communication. The ethnographic research project she completed in Morocco was awarded first place in the Journalism Department at the 2012 Ohio University Creative Exposition.

About the DI Creatives-in-Residence Program at KSU: The DI Creatives-in-Residence Program is made possible by a generous gift from long-time supporter of Design Innovation, Ken Robinson, and an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.