The Lucky Ship

Kim Kapera presents The Lucky Ship, 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.

“Following the death of my maternal grandparents, I had to reconcile a dual identity that suddenly felt hollow and conflicted. The physical connection to my grandparents was severed, and so was what felt like the only tangible remnants of my Polish heritage. What happens when we lose ties to language, culture, and memory? How can we heal something that feels both

personal and foreign to us? The more research I did, the clearer it became that I wasn’t the only one seeking to understand my roots. As anti-immigrant sentiments continue to rise globally, my objective is to instill greater empathy toward foreigners by sharing pieces of my own family’s history.”

– Kim Kapera

As part of her residency, Kim Kapera hosted a "Community Pierogi Dinner & Story Sharing" at Jilly's Music Room, bringing together guests for an evening of food, music, and conversation inspired by her exhibition, The Lucky Ship. Centered on the role of food in preserving memory, heritage, and belonging, the dinner invited participants to reflect on their own family histories while sharing a traditional Polish meal. The evening also featured live polka music by Robert Buzecan and Bob Young of Bellows & Backbeat, followed by an optional gallery tour of the exhibition, creating a meaningful opportunity for cultural exchange and community connection.

Kim Kapera (she/her) is a homegrown Northeast Ohio photographer and mixed media artist who recently completed Summit Artspace’s 2025 Artist Launchpad program. In addition to experimenting with digital and film photography, she has incorporated ceramics into her art practice. She is interested in pursuing Polish pottery motifs, and continuing to explore her Polish heritage through traditional folk art. In her free time, she volunteers for the art gallery in CVNP and is often out exploring art events and hiking trails in the area. 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.