Oct. 14, 2000 — Alfred Etienne managed to overcome a fear of the police born of brutality in his native Haiti. Then he set about seeing that the police—and his adopted American community—got over their fear of him.

Five years ago, Etienne helped found a volunteer Haitian patrol, a neighborhood group serving as a liaison between the police and his people. Etienne's work as a carpenter building a better community has not gone unnoticed. He was recognized by the governor and later awarded a $5,000 prize from The Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties.

Now, the life of Etienne—and those of dozens of his Haitian neighbors—will be examined as works of art.

Delray Beach's Haitian community is one subject of a unique documentary project called, "Indivisible: Stories of American Community." The Duke University project includes photographs, interviews, a coffee-table book and music—all describing common acts of togetherness in 12 American neighborhoods.

The communities were chosen for their projects' effect on residents, said Melissa Carter, director of marketing for Old School Square.

"And they were looking for grass-roots efforts," she said. "People had to come together and make this happen on their own."

To find such projects and communities, researchers looked on the Internet and interviewed people around the country, Carter said.

An "Indivisible" exhibit of 60 postcard-sized photographs is scheduled to open in the Cornell Museum of Art and History at Old School Square Monday and run through Nov. 12. A larger exhibit, including original photographs, is touring larger U.S. cities.

Included in the Delray Beach photos is a shot of Fremiaud Basse holding a picture of his fiancée, Guerline Joseph, believed to have drowned off the Florida coast in March 1999.

Also in the exhibit are photos of the MAD DADS street patrol.

"I'm elated that the work done by many citizens gets recognized," MAD DADS Executive Director Chuck Ridley said. "They give of it freely. The persons who walk with me on street patrol were at one time homeless and substance abusers who we met on street patrol."

Visitors won't just be looking at the exhibit, however. An interactive computer kiosk will allow visitors to write their own stories of community.

And art fans can take this exhibit home. Copies of 60 images—five photos from each of the 12 featured communities—are available for free at the exhibit.

The idea is to give away 100,000 postcards," Carter said.

The exhibit is free and open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Angelique Tea Room of the museum, 51 N. Swinton Ave. It can be previewed at www.indivisible.org.

Staff writer Howie Paul Hartnett contributed to this story.