03:45 AM CDT on Saturday, June 3, 2006

A man waits at a street corner, hoping for work and for his American dream to come true.

A woman offers a cup of water with a smile on her face and her heart in her hand.

A man collects brush that was once a garden.

These are the images captured by America's workers, many of them immigrants, and contained in the newly released book unseenamerica .

The book is an innovative arts project documenting the reality faced by everyday workers who have recorded their lives on film. They also describe in their own words their worlds and their visions.

Dallas is one of 412 U.S. cities that have been selected to show an exhibit featuring some of those images. The black-and-white and color photos will be on display at Dallas City Hall, the city's central library and the Dallas Convention Center. The award-winning photographs also will be shown at the Creative Arts Center, 2360 Laughlin Drive.

"This was an opportunity to hear from the immigrants themselves," said Esther Cohen, executive director of New York's Bread & Roses, the cultural arm of the Service Employees International Union. "It was a way to show that no matter what culture you come from, you can still express your own reality in a universal language."

Ms. Cohen was in Dallas this week to launch the project, which also helps train workers in the art of photography. The project is now looking for professional photographers who will teach the workers the technical skills they will need to document their own lives.

To participate, contact Ms. Cohen at estherc@1199.org.

Christmas can't wait

It might be difficult for most folks to think of a tennis racquet and Christmas at the same time in June.

Not so for the organizers of Navidad en el Barrio. They already have December on their minds.

They have to. They can't wait to start thinking about how to raise enough money and collect enough toys and sports equipment for their annual campaign.

But this year, officers of the 18-year-old nonprofit foundation aren't just thinking about toys. They're also concerned about finding ways to encourage greater literacy and sports activities among Latino youth.

Illiteracy and obesity are two of the biggest obstacles to a bright future for many Latinos today.

Most major U.S. studies show that the ability to read in English often affects a child's chances for success in school and later in life. And the rising incidence of obesity and diabetes among Latinos has become an epidemic that has alarmed many health practitioners.

"We're hoping we can work on the two main issues affecting our community," said Yvonne Castañeda Ryan, a member of the organization.

Books and soccer balls can do wonders for the health of mind and body. The group hopes to get its message across and reach more groups with the campaign's launch at noon Wednesday at Dallas City Hall.

Dr. Elba García, mayor pro tem and the campaign's chairwoman, will talk about the group's initiatives, "Fall Into Reading" and "Spring Into Sports."

Children's choir joins CityArts fest

The children's choir of the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe will be among the local performing groups featured at the third annual CityArts Celebration next weekend in the Arts District in downtown Dallas.

The choir will perform at 7 p.m. June 10 at the Medical City Children's Hospital Stage in front of the Meyerson Symphony Center.

A dozen other Hispanic-themed groups also will participate, including the Latin Jazz All-Stars alumni group from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts.

The family event, with free admission, has also added a special treat for arts lovers – free entry into the district's museums, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Garden.

For more information and an event schedule, visit www.dallas cityarts.com.

Mercedes Olivera can be reached at molivera@dallasnews .com or at P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265.