In a war that killed an estimated 100,000 men, women and children, Bosnia-Herzegovina has shown resilience in starting from scratch, as depicted in the new photography exhibit on display in Jody Richards Hall.

The second semester of WKU’s International Year of Bosnia-Herzegovina continued on Wednesday, Jan. 31 with the opening of the exhibit Bosnia and Herzegovina: Then and Now: A Visual Exploration of a Country in Change.

“You see the connection,” WKU freshman Savannah Herron said. “Even through all of the harshness that happened, there is still hope.”

Bowling Green has a growing Bosnian-American community, according to a past College Heights Herald article.  

“The Bosnian community has become a very important part of who Bowling Green is,” WKU Provost David Lee said. “This show gives us a very important window to change in Bowling Green and Warren County.”

Vedrana Forsythe was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and immigrated to the United States in 1998, three years after the war ended.

“It’s nice that [WKU] includes countries like Bosnia, even though it isn’t as popular,” Forsythe said.

Forsythe, who graduated from WKU in 2010, still remembers her first days in the United States when she immigrated 20 years ago.

“It was a culture shock to say the least,” Forsythe said.

James Kenney, the coordinator of the photojournalism program whose work is also included in the exhibit, visited Bosnia with the Zuheir Sofia Endowed International Faculty Seminar in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“My experience in Bosnia stays with me,” Kenney said.

The interdisciplinary seminar Kenney participated in provides an opportunity for international growth for faculty members and is one of the first events in the International Year Of.

“This is meant to seed sustainable, internationalization of our faculty,” Andrea Cheney, assistant director of international programs, said referring to the seminar.

The gallery presents work from Kenney, Lara Ciarabellini, Amel Emric, Jose Lopez, Matt Lutton, Dijana Muminovic, Roger M. Richards and Andy Spyra.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina gallery will be displayed until April 13 in Jody Richards Hall. 

News reporter Evan Mattingly can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected].

A previous version of this story said James Kenney is the director of the photojournalism program. Kenney is actually the coordinator of the program. The Herald regrets the error.