Newsletter Archive
Be sure to check our most recent issues of “The Survivor” to find calls for art that may not have expired yet!
The Survivor
The Survivors Art Foundation Newsletter
Issue 8 • October 2003
A Note from the Founder:
Hello to everyone!
It is with great pleasure that I am announcing our next Survivors Art Foundation project in this issue of The Survivor. One long-term goal of this organization will become a reality over the next two years. We are about to begin the process of creating a book of art collected from the participants of the Survivors Art Foundation. Submission guidelines and details can be found in this newsletter. My hopes for this book are great. Bringing the art of survivors to the public in a tangible format is one more way of healing ourselves and educating the masses. I thank you all in advance for your participation and support.
— Candy Brokaw
In this issue:
- The Survivors Art Foundation Call for Art
Robert Canaga Gallery Call for Art
Silver Ribbon First
Darkness to Light
National Drawing Exhibition Call for Art
The Survivors Art Foundation Call for Art
To submit your work to be considered for publication in our upcoming book you must adhere to the following guidelines. Please mail photos or slides only with a short artist’s statement and a biography. We will NOT accept online submissions.
Deadline: August 1, 2004
Submission address:
The SAF Book Project
P.O. Box 383
Westhampton, NY 11977
Attention: Holly
Submission Fee: $25 USD
If you have questions please contact: [email protected]
Robert Canaga Gallery Call for Art
http://robertcanagagallery.com
Get out your mirror. “Look at Me! Look at Me!” is an exploration of the self portrait. Robert Canaga Gallery invites you to send an email image in any medium (painting, photo, sculpture, poem…) to be included in an ongoing show called “Look at Me! Look at Me! ” There is no cost, no fee, no use of images without permission. All works will receive a link to the site of your choice. There are no restrictions except only 3 images per artist if you please. This should be fun. Send images to [email protected] or go to the web site and submit there. He really wants this to grow out of control!
Silver Ribbon First
http://www.silverribbon.org
Richard Williams in Ft. Walton Beach Florida is a member of the Brain Injury Connection, a support group associated with the Brain Injury Association of Florida. He will be accompanying a delegation from Illinois(shown on their web page) to Washington D.C. in early October. He will meet with the Postmaster General and present him with letters from Illinois and Florida petitioning for the Silver Ribbon First Class postage stamp. They could certainly use your help! Print, sign and send the “form letter” contained on the silverribbon.org website. It would be GREAT to have as many letters as possible arrive during their visit. Illinois has gathered about 37,000 to present.
Darkness to Light
http://www.darkness2light.org/JointheFight/change_legislation.shtml
Did you know that more children are sexually abused each year than contract chicken pox, a common childhood malady? Most never tell. The Senate is cutting funds to protect innocent child from this crime. Preventing child sexual abuse is a job for grown-ups. Go to http://www.darkness2light.org/JointheFight/change_legislation.shtml to email your lawmakers now.
National Drawing Exhibition Call for Art
http://www.wifordandvogt.com/.
The 3rd Annual 2004 National Drawing Exhibition will be hosted this year by Wiford & Vogt Fine Art. To find out all the details please go to http://www.wifordandvogt.com.
“The Survivor”
The Survivors Art Foundation Newsletter – Spring 2001
A Note from the Founder:
I want to thank every individual that is a member of the Foundation for helping us to grow larger and stronger each day. Our outreach projects from working with Kosovo Refugees, and Prisoners with AIDS to Native Americans and Breast Cancer Survivors make a difference in our world community and help to raise consciousness about what it means to be a survivor.
By joining SAF as an artist, a volunteer or a supporter you are one voice uniting with many to make so much possible, from our art exhibits, and conferences to our outreach projects it is you, the members of The Survivors Art Foundation that have created an artistic community of support.
–Candyce Brokaw
Please post your ideas, feeling and opinions about the Foundation on our message board
https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/discus/index.html
An Art Exhibition:
New York State Office of Mental Health, Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Trauma Unit Mastering the Key Connector: Clinical Training on Trauma Services in the Public Mental Heath System.
The Survivors Art Foundation provided an art exhibition for the New York State Office for Mental Health Trauma Divisions 6th Annual Conference, at the Marriott Marquee in New York City, during the first week in April. The exhibition featured the Kosovo refugee silk paintings, and mobile, as well as photography and poetry by SAF participants. The artwork was well received by over 1,000 mental health providers, doctors, clinicians and trauma survivors that attended the 3-day conference. Guest speakers included Dusty Miller, author of “Women Who Hurt Themselves.”
The 3rd annual Women’s History Month Exhibition:
The third annual Women’s History Month Exhibition was a great success. The Exhibit was held in honor of Women’s History Month at the Southampton Cultural Center on Long Island, in March 2001. The Survivors Art Foundation has been honored to receive consecutively for the past three years the 1999, 2000 and 2001 “Grants for the Arts” Award and funding from the New York State Council on the Arts. The Huntington Arts Council, Inc. administers the award in Suffolk County.
https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows/march_2001_1.html
National Mental Health Association Annual Meeting, Justice for All:
“Addressing America’s Mental Health Disparities”
The Survivors Art Foundation’s next art exhibition will be for the National Mental Health Associations Annual Conference in Washington DC. The exhibit will take place June 6,2001-June 9,2001 in Washington DC at the Hyatt Regency and on Capitol Hill at the Dirksen Building. For more information on attending this conference please go to the NMHA website: http://www.nmha.org. or call 800-969-NMHA (6642).
The Totem Rhythms Outreach Project: Striving to build self-esteem and cultural awareness in Native Americans.
Led by Marietta Dantonio-Fryer the Totem Rhythms project has helped Native Americans in Pennsylvania to share their personal stories, genealogy, group identity, history and heritage. Story poles and writing will become part of an exhibit expected to tour United States colleges and museums and will be exhibited at the United Nations during Indigenous Peoples Day.
The completed exhibit will delineate Native American perspectives, reflecting the heritage and culture of people indigenous to Turtle Island before European settlement, and reflect how their descendants view themselves as part of today’s community.
Open Call for Art and Other Opportunities:
Here are some links to opportunities for artists to submit their work for exhibition, and information on grants and scholarships for the Arts:
The Survivors Art Foundation Exhibit at Hofstra University:
Breaking Down the Walls of Bias
https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/hofstra_2002.html
Art Contests and Competitions:
http://www.xensei.com/users/adl/
The Art Deadlines List
http://rtuh.com/adl
New York State Council on the Arts
http://www.nysca.org
ArtsNet
http://artsnet.heinz.cmu..edu/
ArtCore: Promoting Art and Music
http://www.artcore.com/
Survivors Artist Index
http://www.web.net/~survivor/list.htm
The Folk Art Newsletter
http://www.americaohyes.com/pages/newslet.html
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc.
http://www.pkf.org/
The Healing Years – A Survivor Video
The Healing Years is a new documentary video profiling three women on their journey through the pain and despair from incest and child sexual abuse, and their incredible process of recovery as they finally work to end the cycle of incest and child sexual abuse for generations ahead. Featuring Miss America Marilyn Van Derbur and her work as survivor activist; Janice Mirikitani, President of Glide Memorial Church as she helps inner city women addicts and survivors transform the cycle of incest and addiction; and Barbara Hamilton, a 79 yr. old survivor ending 3 generations of incest in her family.
Endorsed by Laura Davis, Author of Courage to Heal – and Dr. Maya Angelou. Screened at leading international women’s film festivals and psychology conferences.
Special Price for survivors, $24.99 plus $3.50 shipping.To order: 800-685-2409
The Survivor
Winter, 2000
Upcoming Events
The third annual Women’s History Month Exhibit will be in Southampton, New York this year. Our focus will be the performing arts this year featuring four ethnic dance workshops including African and Latin dance. Visual and literary works created by individual artists or survivors and outreach projects will be exhibited as well.
Call for Artists
SAF is now conducting an open call for art and literature for the Hofstra Museum Multi-Media Art Exhibition at Hofstra University in New York. This show will be titled “Breaking Through the Wall”. The show will run from April 16 to August 1, 2002. The art in this powerful, ground-breaking exhibit will break down the walls of bias around survivors of AIDS, sexual abuse, domestic violence, mental illness and other disabilities. Submissions will be accepted through June 30, 2001. The application and submissions guidelines will be online at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows/hofstra_2002_app.html
Note from the Founder, Candyce Brokaw
This has been a very busy and rewarding time for Survivors Art Foundation. As many of you may know, I founded SAF as a survivor of rape and an artist just three short years ago. In this time, SAF has grown to 48 states and 20 countries. We have been part of two United Nations exhibitions, two Saks Fifth Avenue shows, countless outreach projects, and publications. SAF is still in our growth stages and under funded. We are entirely staffed by volunteers and because of this we can not always personally respond to all inquires. Please forgive us if we have not gotten back to any of you, but rest assured we will eventually.
Special thanks to Marietta Dantonio-Fryer and Rik Fryer, SAF’s amazing Outreach coordinators, for their amazing projects you will see listed below and also displayed on the SAF Virtual Gallery on the website.
Susan Adsit, SAF’s amazing volunteer web mistress asks that I announce we are running 6 months behind on web submissions due to huge volume of submissions. Please see our important new submissions guidelines at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/submissions.html for tips on how to make it easier for your artwork to be presented and archived at Survivors Art Foundation. Many kudos are in order for Susan Adsit and Mark Kramer our Systems Administrator from the Netherlands for creating such an incredible award winning website. The new features include an Interactive Chat/Bulletin Board, which will house announcements, calls for art, member chat boards for support and sharing of information. https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/discus/ As well as the new SAFeCards section (URL below), please feel free to send out all your Holiday cards free of charge through this service. It is our hope to continue to add members artwork and poetry through upcoming competitions.
Announcing: SAFeCards
Welcome to Survivors Art Foundation SAFeCards! We hope to bring you a large assortment of fine art E-cards created by SAF by participating artists, as well as cards from our various Outreach Programs.Please click on pictures below to send SAFeCards. More SAFeCards will be added on a regular basis, please bookmark this page!
https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/safecards/
A New H.A.T. for SAF In Fort Riley, Kansas
The first Healing, Art and Technology workshop was conducted with 92 US Army International Art Directors. Designed to reach “At-Risk” youth groups, Domestic Violence Shelters, and other organizations, HAT encourages its participants to use art as an outlet while also teaching them how to link art and technology with computers, digital cameras and scanners. The next HAT workshop will be conducted with US Army soldiers and their families. We have proposed that this program will be followed by an Art and Technology Outreach Project with U.S. Army Soldiers and their families, at risk youth and possibly soldiers with PTSD returning from Kosovo.
Please check our “Shows” listing page for the URL for this show at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows/
The Guardian Mural
Guardian Mural, 2000 Marietta Dantonio-Fryer, SAF outreach coordinator, just completed the “Guardian Mural” Outreach Project in collaboration with Elwyn, Inc. in Pennsylvania. She worked with a core group of adolescents who are challenged and many that are survivors. The mural is over 12 feet long and weighs over 600 lb. It includes plaster death masks of the children’s faces that are coated with colored epoxy resins. Creating the masks was an act of trust for each participant. Each child selected a “Guardian” to watch over them and protect them during the lengthily process. This helped foster trust in all involved. The teenagers then asked for mirrors to be placed into the eyes of the masks. This is a reflection of the self, when someone looks at his or her masks. The concept is “society may fear them, but they created them.” The murals emphasis is on how do we stop drug and alcohol abuse? How do we learn to love others and ourselves? How do we stop violence? It is through being the “Guardian of yourself.” The Guardian mural will be on exhibit in Southampton, NY in March 2001.
Please check our “Shows” listing page for the URL for this show at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows/
Totem Rhythms
Native Americans from Nations across the United States of America totem pole construction begins. Targeting Native American “At-Risk” youth and adult survivors, this project helps each nation to create three totem poles that represent their struggles. The first Nation to undertake this project was the Thunder Mountain Nation of Pennsylvania this November. One totem pole will remain with them, one will be part of the traveling exhibit and the third will be presented to the National Native American Museum in Washington, DC.
http://www.questpublish.com/totemrhythms
Stand By Me and Be Free
The “Stand By Me and Be Free” Mural Exhibition, an Art Outreach Project conducted with male and female inmates from Delaware Correctional Center, who have AIDS. Marietta Dantonio-Fryer, SAF Outreach Project Coordinator and professor of Art and Chyeney University, PA created this project. The title came about because the men feel like lepers and just want to be held by another human being. The women involved in the project all have many children, and would like to convey an educational message to the public about AIDS Awareness and Prevention, as well as breaking the bias towards those with AIDS. Both murals are eight-foot octagons and are embedded with real healing gemstones.
Please check our “Shows” listing page for the URL for this show at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows/
Breast Cancer Exhibit
At Saks Fifth Avenue on Long Island this September, SAF held a three-week art exhibit in collaboration with the Huntington Breast Cancer Organization. Breast cancer and other cancer survivors did all of the work in the show. Please check our “Shows” listing page for the URL for this show at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows/
Updates
The President of the National Mental Health Association, Michael Faenza has just joined the Survivors Art Foundation Board of Directors as the Vice President. His bio can be found at https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/ourboard.html
Special thanks also to Holly for the creation of this issue of The Survivor, and to Dee Dee Brower, SAF’s Volunteer Coordinator, for the establishment of a new intern program.
The new regional director to address your questions, comments and concerns is Holly Degnan. Please send letters to [email protected]
Survivors Art Foundation
P.O. Box 383, Westhampton, NY 11977
February 2000
SURVIVORS ART FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
· Survivors Art Foundation Nominated for Smithsonian Computerworld Award
· United Nations “Children’s Visions of the New Millennium,” Dec 17, 1999 – Feb. 27, 2000
· Southampton, NY Show “Women and Children of the New Millennium,” March 17- March 27, 2000
· New Upcoming Shows
· Open Call For Artists
· Grants
· On-Line Virtual Gallery Exhibitions
· Survivors Art Foundation Awards and Honors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Survivors Art Foundation nominated for Computerworld Smithsonian Award
Washington, D.C. (February 1, 2000)—Survivors Art Foundation’s Internet Art Gallery will become part of the Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on Monday, April 3rd when the 2000 Information Technology Innovation Collection is formally presented to the Institution.
“The Laureates in this year’s Collection are utilizing new information age tools to extend the benefits of technology to society,” said Dan Morrow, Executive Director of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program.
Nominated by Norio Niwa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Epson America, Inc. , in the Media, Arts & Entertainment category, Survivors Art Foundation’s work is part of a collection that includes over 440 of the year’s most innovative applications of technology from 38 states and 21 countries.
At Survivors Art Foundation, an internet art gallery providing free space for trauma-survivors with mental or physical disabilities to display and sell their artwork, poetry, and music. A central resource offering information on agencies to aid in healing, increase self-esteem, employment skills, and reduce isolation.
“The primary source material submitted by Survivors Art Foundation will enrich the National Museum of American History’s growing collection on the history of information technology, and contribute significantly to the museum’s on-going efforts to chronicle the Information Age,” said Spencer R. Crew, Director of the National Museum of American History. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution, founded in 1846, which is a complex of 16 museums, 7 research facilities and the National Zoo.
Case Studies from the 2000 Computerworld Smithsonian Collection will be available at http://innovate.si.edu, the official Internet Site of the Computerworld Smithsonian Program, where the entire collection is available to scholars, researchers and the general public worldwide.
Each year, the Computerworld Smithsonian Chairmen’s Committee nominates individuals who use information technology to improve society for inclusion in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s IT Innovation Collection. Founded in 1988, the Computerworld Smithsonian Program searches for and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership as they strive to use information technology in innovative ways across ten categories: Business and Related Services; Education and Academia; Environment, Energy and Agriculture; Finance, Insurance and Real Estate; Government and Non-Profit Organizations; Manufacturing; Media, Arts and Entertainment; Medicine; Science; and Transportation.
The Children’s “Visions of the New Millennium” Exhibition: In the lobby of the United Nations, December 17 through February 28, 2000. Featured at the exhibit will be the Survivors Art Foundation Kosovo Refugee Out-Reach Project “Flight to Freedom Mobile” and eight hand-painted silk panels. Accompanying the Kosovo artwork will be a photographic essay of the children who participated in the project. Other children’s works from SAF’s Safe Kids Web site, will include “Art Sense,” a ten foot ceramic mosaic mural created by 200 deaf and blind children from the US. In addition a magnificent eight-foot circular acrylic painting titled “Journey into Healing,” created by teenage rape survivors from the Delaware (13 – 18 yr. of age). From Bosnia there will be a photo-journalistic piece, which is a study of black and white photography and essays by children during the war (five – 16 yr. of age). The exhibition is in collaboration with the United Nations and the International Paint Pals Organization, who will also be exhibiting children without trauma backgrounds art and literary works from around the world.The Exhibition can be viewed On-Line, on the SAF Virtual Gallery:https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/unshow1.html
*Note: SAF Outreach Project Coordinator, Marieitta Dantonio designed the Interactive Art Project for both the Kosovo Refugees and US Soldiers, in June 1999, at Fort Dix, NJ. The project was collaboration with Survivors Art Foundation, the United States Army Arts and Crafts Department, the Department of Human Services and The American Red Cross. SAF worked with different age groups of refugees ranging from small children to young adults. The experience was joyful and unforgettable for all involved. The entire event produced 38 pieces of children’s art configured into an enormous mobile, and ten hand-painted silk masterpieces created by teenagers.
Southampton, NY Show “Women and Children of the New Millennium,” March 17- March 27, 2000
Survivors Art Foundation’s 2nd annual Multi-Media Arts Exhibition at the Southampton Cultural Center, in honor of Women’s History Month, March 16th through March 23rd. Last years Exhibition was titled “Birth,” this year’s exhibit will follow suit as “Women and Children of the New Millennium,” involving the display of local and International artwork, poetry and dance of adults and children.
SAF plans to bring the UN exhibit to East End of Long Island for viewing over a 10-day period. This will enable more Long Island residents an opportunity to view the artwork from the UN and coordinate tours from local schools, acquire reviews in newspapers and other media. The featured art will include the Survivors Art Foundation Kosovo Refugee Out-Reach Project of 10 hand-painted Silk Panels and the Children’s “Flight to Freedom” Mobile. Along with a photo-journalistic exhibition of the refugees who created the work.
We plan to conduct essay-writing contests at the Cultural Center and local schools, involving the children. The children’s essays will be displayed at the exhibition.
Other featured artwork include: Karyn Janowski’s oils on canvas of women. A fine artist from California, her work is in some very fine collections, including Bill Gates, Microsoft Collection. Ms. Janowski is an accident survivor. Oxana a Brazilian sculptress, whose Bronze sculptures range in size from two to five feet high. Oxana survived a savage attack at age six, and is a burn survivor. Wendy Csoka’s exquisite acrylic canvas’ of women and children recently featured at Saks Fifth Avenue. Wendy is a survivor of an Acoustic Neuroma Brain Tumor from the US. Poetry from around the world, including Dr. Suzanne Stutman, Homeless women’s group in CA, the Philippines, etc. Fiber Art from a group of Mayan weavers, Survivors from the Guatemalan Massacres of 1991.Stained Glass Art pieces hung along the windows created by Judy Castelli.The Heah Choi Korean Dance Troupe (Dance Therapists) of NYC, and coordinated via Linni Deihl, SAF Director of Dance.”Spontaneous Combustion,” a South African Dance and Drumming Group. A very lively and festive group choreographed by Susan Bailey.
New Upcoming Shows and Events
Dear Friends:
What a wondrous event we will be celebrating this next year: the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The year 2000 will mark this historic event. To commemorate this occasion, that affects all Americans, there will be a national celebration of the ADA: from sea to shining sea .or at least from coast to coast! It will happen here in California in N. California in the East Bay and in S. California in Los Angeles. To learn more about this national celebration, the Web address is: http://www.initiative2000.org/
If you can recommend a disability group you think should be involved at any level, (including your own) please send me their name, email address, address and telephone number so they can be contacted. I will pass this on to the two people in charge. I am personally invested in as many diverse groups participating as possible. This includes ALL disability groups please. This celebration is for people with disabilities, family members, service providers, businesses, job developers, counselors, medical professionals, educational institutions: with ADA we ALL win!
Please let me know too if you are interested in volunteering for this in the Bay area. This lovely event is in the process of being set up and organized. What a great opportunity to meet new people, participate politically on a local and national level, network, help others and help ourselves.
Wishing you all the best. Lorre [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The National Arts and Disability Center’s Online Conference “ArtsACCESS” December 1999 through March 2000
http://nadc.ucla.edu/conference.html
The National Arts and Disability Center invites performers, arts administrators and educators to ArtsACCESS, an online conference on the inclusion of performers and audience members with disabilities in the media and performing arts. The conference is open 24 hours a day and participants may visit as frequently as they want. Anyone can simply register for free
at http://nadc.ucla.edu/conference.html <http://nadc.ucla.edu/conference.html> the first time they visit the site. The site features transcripts from the presentations given at the Association for Theatre and Accessibility and Coalition Partners Conference,” Promoting Creative Power” held in Los Angeles in May 1999. Many ATA conference participants stated that it was the best conference they had ever attended. Performers and arts administrators said that the conference was exciting, helpful, inspiring and bolstered their energy towards their work. ArtsACCESS participants can READ presentations from speakers from the performing and media arts such as Victoria Ann Lewis, David Roche, Jeremy Alliger, Burt Pearl, Robby Heisner, Gail Williamson, as well as dancers and performers from international and US theatre and mixed ability dance companies. Topics include audience development, careers in the arts, fundingresources, developing and pitching a treatment, images of persons with disabilities in the media, artistic quality, and how to develop a one-person show. In addition you can SEE newly developed web tours and TALK ABOUT the critical issues related to inclusion in the arts. The NADC is the national information, technical assistance and referral center specializing in the field of arts and disability. The NADC is dedicated to promoting the full inclusion of children and adults with disabilities into the visual, performing-, media- and literary arts communities. Its resources, directories, annotated bibliographies, related links and conferences serve to advance the careers of artists with disabilities and foster access to the arts. The NADC is a project of the University of California, at Los Angeles (UCLA) University Affiliated Program.
Beth Stoffmacher
National Arts and Disability Center
University of California, Los Angeles
[email protected]
310-825-5054
Open Call For Artists and Grants
Greetings…
I am the Art Director for HMS BEAGLE, a web science magazine (hmsbeagle.com).
If you are interested in illustrating for us, I think your work would fit in. We pay $75 per illustration, and the turnaround for illustrations is usually three days. If you are interested, please reply so that I may give you further
information. studio422.com (212) 420-7542
Dear Friends- I am a woman recovering from depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and PTSD. My new husband and I have written a humorous book and we are looking for a cartoonist or a person who does cariacatures to illustrate the book with us. Would you please pass the word on and perhaps someone will be interested. It is a hot ticket with great marketing blurbs- we just need that great artistic touch. Thanks so much.
Lorre [email protected]
Survivors Art Foundation Now has Online Multimedia Exhibitions
https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/shows.html
Saks Fifth Avenue
360° Panoramic Galleries
Survivors Art Foundation, in collaboration with the Huntington Breast Cancer Coalition, exhibited at Saks Fifth Avenue in Huntington NY, September 22-28,1999. SAF participants Oxana’s and Wendy Csoka’s work were featured at an in-store exhibition; all proceeds supporting breast cancer research.
We present here both QuickTime and Java tours of the show.
https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org/saks1.html
RECENT SURVIVORS ART FOUNDATION AWARDS
Survivors Art Foundation has been honored to receive the 1999 “Chase SMARTS Grant” funded by Chase Manhattan Bank and administered by the Huntington Arts Council, Inc.
Survivors Art Foundation has been honored to receive consecutively for the past two years the 1999 and the 2000 “Grants for the Arts” Award and Funding from the New York State Council on the Arts. The Huntington Arts Council, Inc. administers the award in Suffolk County.
Winter 1999
Table of contents
· Kosovo
· United Nations March 16th, 1999
· Southampton, NY Show “Birth”
· RE-REGISTER NOW!
· MC and Visa now accepted
· Tri -State Area Interviews
· New Upcoming Shows
Hofstra Show – Lilith Fair Show Hartford, CT; Denver, Colorado Jones Beach Long Island; 2nd Annual “BIRTH” Show SCC
· OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS
· Survivor For Survivor &Mac246; Story by C. Brokaw
· GRANTS
· Members News
· Your opinions
· Volunteers Needed
· Suggestion Box
· Letter from the Executive Director
· Calendar
KOSOVO
Art Heals & Brings Smiles to Children’s Faces
SURVIVORS ART FOUNDATION CONDUCTS ART OUTREACH PROGRAM WITH KOSOVO REFUGEES AT FORT DIX, NJ
Survivors Art Foundation conducted a Mixed-Media Art Program with the Kosovo refugees, at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Monday June 28th through Thursday July 1st, 1999. The project involved collaboration between Survivors Art Foundation, the United States Army Arts and Crafts Department, the Department of Human Services and The American Red Cross.
“The theme of the piece is “‘Flight to Freedom’,” said SAF Outreach Project Coordinator, Marietta Dantonio. She designed an Interactive Art Project for Kosovo refugees and US soldiers to work on together. SAF worked with refugees ranging in age from small children to adults. The event produced 38 circular children’s pieces of art, and 10 enormous silk masterpieces created by adults.
SAF documented the entire outreach project with artwork, photography and text. The experience was joyful and unforgettable for all involved.
The Kosovo refugees were each given a Polaroid snapshot of themselves with their completed artwork. This was the first time many of the children had ever seen an instant photograph of themselves, and they were delighted with the gift.
The project consists of hand painted images of the survivor’s own impressions on silk. The finished pieces will be displayed accordingly, and first exhibited at the SAF Hofstra University Multi-Media Art Exhibition on August 14th. After the premiere exhibit, the pieces will tour with SAF National Exhibitions and will be digitally reproduced on the Survivors Art Foundation Internet Art Gallery https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org
“Arty’s USA Corporation,” generously donated the silk fabric, the paint was donated by “Dekart, Inc.,” and brushes came from the “Silver Brush Corporation,” and Donald Fitzgerald’s donation. Thanks ever so much.
More on this refugee experience in the story “Survivor For Survivor” by Candyce Brokaw.
UNITED NATIONS
International Health Association Network Symposium
At the United Nations medical delegates and diplomats from around the world spoke on issues affecting women in the work place.
Over 30 Doctors spoke on the issues and this was of such immense importance that college credit was given for its attendance. IHAN and SAF worked cooperatively putting together a brochure and evening program to help benefit women’s health needs.
Barbara Hope, President of SAF was the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening program with guest speaker Dr. Suzanne Stutman, who read poems from her book. The evening program consisted of wine and cheeses along with a harpist who melodically soothed us as we networked with the speakers of the day to help implement some ideas.
It was wonderful being part of history in the making, and SAF has been invited back to work with IHAN again on next year’s project.
New York Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter, D-N.Y., today received the International Health Awareness Network Recognition Award for her distinguished contribution to health and women’s policy.
The award was presented at the Eighth International Health Awareness Network Symposium at the United Nations. The program focused on the elimination of violence against women and children.
Slaughter is widely regarded as a leading women’s policy advocate in women’s health, domestic violence, and international women’s rights. She has sponsored legislation that became law on eating disorders and was instrumental in establishing the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health.
She wrote the law establishing the first federal research program on diethylstilbestrol, or DES, a drug given to pregnant American women for decades in the mistaken belief that it would prevent miscarriages. She also authored portions of the Violence Against Women Act and sponsored annual bills designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Slaughter is also spearheading legislation to prevent genetic discrimination in health insurance, and raising women’s awareness of the colorectal cancer risk.
IHAN is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and welfare of women and children, particularly in developing countries. Based in Summit, N.J., IHAN conducts health projects, mass immunizations, health care screenings and treatment, and educational workshops.
SCC SHOW “BIRTH”
An insider’s look by Lucille Leggio
News coverage galore! The Publicity/News coverage was tremendous for the first show. Everyone wanted to know about the organization and its members. Full-page articles were in numerous papers. Living on this East End of Long Island, I rarely have seen such a complete coverage of an Art Event except when there are well-known celebrities in attendance.
Well! We had our own celebrities; the artist whose work hung as a tribute to all of us who are still in the grips of devastation, showing us that we too can survive.
It’s Thursday, March18th and it’s 10:30am and the room is filling with an onslaught of people and artwork. Candyce Brokaw, SAF Executive Director, and Founder carried in large pieces of Oxano’s sculptures. Boxes and wrapping lay crumbled in disarray as cartons lay open to reveal beautiful pieces of art. Oh my, where and how are we going to finish this? Barbara Hope, our President, and Don Gaiti were the experts in that department. They managed to make sense of the enormous amount of items to be hung.
Barbara Hope and Don Gaiti also supplied beautiful sheers, which draped some of the backdrops for the artwork. These peach sheer cloths were layered on the banisters to cover the ugly black cold industrial feel. This gave a warm welcoming, feeling to the hall. The room was huge with wonderful lighting; the stark white walls were warmed with the tones of the peach material. In the corner, the two peg-board panels that would normally hold pictures at this type of function, worked as a backdrop for the cloths, gently softening the images that were mounted on deeper peach tone mats. There, in front of this panel was a model stand for life-drawing classes. The pedestal was laden with the peach sheers, and Oxano’s sculpture was strategically placed on it and beach sand was poured around it to give it a feeling that the image was on the beach. It was truly inspiring.
Don Gaiti knew exactly how to get the best view of Judy Castelli’s Stained Glass images, hanging them in a free-form effect with light shining through them. It was extremely illuminating. Candy had taken oodles of copies of poetry, framed them and made collages for the viewing. Don also did a massive amount of physical labor hanging that almost endless amount of poetry.
Wendy Csoka and her husband Frank worked hard to place her large 5 feet by 8 feet canvases on the back wall. As a colorful backdrop of expressive imagery, it helped set the mood for a revitalizing feeling of “Birth,” the title of the show. Her husband stated that, “In this large a hall Wendy’s massive paintings seem to shrink in size by comparison.”
There was a hectic stream of people. Some of the artists came to help, hanging most of their own pieces. It didn’t seem like it would ever end. There it was 6:30PM and panic and exhaustion came over me. I had to leave. I went home to do what I do best, the background stuff, leaving the rest to the professionals. Later I found out that Barbara, Candy and Don remained there until after 8:00PM.
Wow! In addition, still more needed to be done. We had to pick up tablecloths/napkins and food, which had to be placed on platters, and flowers, which had to be arranged in the large vases. We had two more hours left before the doors officially opened. Holy Mackerel! Will we make it? The clock was ticking away; it was coming down to the wire. The doors open, and the first to arrive was the press. Yikes, are we done? We did not change our clothes to look presentable. Photographers were now taking pictures and reporters was asking questions. Could we pull it off?
Our clothes didn’t matter. The Press was in enthralled by what they saw. The art show was a huge success. A positive influx of comments streamed across the room as onlookers viewed some of the pain in the artwork. “Expressive,” “intense,” “vivid,” “uplifting” were only some of the comments you could hear.
Dan Rhema’s work viewed though 3-D glasses was a great surprise. “How did he do that? Did he use 3D glasses to paint it?” One asked.
Oxano’s sculptures were also a big hit. People loved the smooth lines. Fabulous job, Oxano! Ingrid’s sculptured paintings grew out of the walls as their raised images emerged as the birth of a new child. Judy Castelli’s stained glass pieces hung free form with light reflecting through them as if the sun gave glimmers of hope.
In the corner was a massive TV Screen displaying the Web Site for everyone to see. Panels from the “International Health Awareness Network” at the UN showed how IHAN reaches the world in the health area to benefit all.
Then there were the lovely banquet tables, draped in ivory cloths to the floor. Thank heavens the cloths were long, and hid a multitude of things needed on a regular basis by the sitters and staff.
On the tables there stood two massive vases filled with dramatic arrangements, each with colors in peach and white and a touch of orange. Another table, round in shape, stood near the center of the room draped also in an ivory clothe to the floor. It held an arrangement of books and pamphlets of some of the artists, along with artist bios and other artworks. Smack in the center of the table, was a tall black vase with pussy willows, again echoing a new beginning, spring and “Birth.” A few books of Peter Swet also graced the table.
That just about brings us back to where we started. Well? We’re never where we had been; we are always changing and growing. This show was a perfect example of the growth in many of us as we ventured past our traumas to the daylight of survival. Moreover, we need to congratulate everyone on the wonderful job of presenting the artwork and the efforts of the artists whose work revealed portions of them, as they healed.
You can get a look and feel for the place if you’d like by visiting our website. If you missed the opportunity to enter this show in March, don’t hesitate any longer. On the horizon, is the Hofstra Show August 14th with a deadline of entry of June 30th. Applications are available on our web site URL: http://www.surviorsartfoundation.org
RE-Register NOW!
NEW APPLICATIONS If you haven’t already Re- Registered and haven&Mac226;t received a new application, please e-mail us at [email protected] or write to us at SAF – PO Box 283, Westhampton, NY 11977. Application fees became necessary in order to help defray the costs of advertising, mailing, providing a database, creating and mailing out a newsletter, and storing artwork waiting to be setup for the shows. The list seems endless.
Thank you for your continued support in this matter, and for the positive feed back. It has been greatly appreciated.
Please note that individuals in financial difficulty will be considered for grants in order to remain “Participating Artists” in this organization.
MASTER CARD AND VISA
All applicants (Artists) looking to become a “Participating Artist,” or “Friend of the Arts” in SAF, will now be able to pay their registrations via Master Card/Visa on the Internet. ALL NEW SECURE LINES! In the future, you’ll also be able to register for shows via the Internet.
Tri-state and WABC Interviews Channels 7-21 and Local 27
Local Cable channels have recently been airing interviews with Candyce Brokaw, Founder, and Executive Director, along with Barbara Hope, President of the Board of Directors, on subjects such as why the organization got started and how it can help people. These interviews are being prepared for viewing on our website. Please have patience! We working on many things at this moment, and many of them take an enormous amount of time and labor. As soon as we have it done, it will be available on the site.
INSURANCE FOR ARTWORK
Do you need insurance for your artwork?
Fine Art Program insures artwork for loss and damage at home, studio, exhibit, in transit. Nationwide coverage. Trinder & Norwood, Div of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., of NY Inc., 2 Gannett dr., White Plains, NY 10604 914-696-3700 Fax 914-696-1010.
NEW SHOWS-
Hofstra Aug.14th 1999 There will be an Art Show held on the Hofstra University Campus on August 14,1999. This show will be co-sponsored by the Acoustic Neuroma Association, the Hofstra Museum, and SAF. Check out our website for an application form. Deadline: June 30, 1999.
LILITH FAIRS – Hartford, Connecticut August 4 -Jones Beach, NY August 6 -Denver, Colorado August 28th & 29th
Southampton Cultural Center – March 2000
United Nations – June 2000 Kazoo Artwork
What is a Lilith Fair?
The organizers of Lilith Fair have announced “Mosaic,” a traveling art project that, in addition to giving patrons a chance to create their own work of art, will also raise money for a select non-profit community arts center in each market the tour visits.
What is a community arts center?
Local community arts centers have been established across the United States and Canada in response to the drastic reduction of funding for the arts. These local art centers provide communities with a diverse range of cultural activities. By providing enrichment programs for youth, performance space for up-and-coming artists, lectures and workshops, local community arts centers foster creative and intellectual growth of the individual and the community.
How will “Mosaic” work?
The local community arts center will make available in the Mosaic tent a variety of art supplies from which concert-goers will create their own piece of art.
People in the Mosaic tent will then take a digital photograph of the individual’s artwork and display the image in the Mosaic Virtual Gallery; the Gallery will be located on the Lilith Fair website http://www.lilithfair.com
At the tour’s end, all of the individual images collected throughout the tour will be printed and used as pieces in a giant Lilith Fair mosaic.
In addition to offering patrons an opportunity to create their own work of art, the Mosaic tent will also serve as a space for the community arts center’s artists to display their work.
At day’s end, all proceeds raised in the Mosaic tent will be donated to the local NPAO affiliate.
Volunteers are needed! Contact us via e-mail at [email protected] or write to us at SAF – PO Box 383 &Mac246; Westhampton, NY 11977 Subject: Volunteering.
2nd Annual “Birth” Show March, 2000 at SCC Applications will be available in September With Finalized Dates
OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS
“Extraordinary Art: Beyond the Museum”
Exceptional Art by Artists with Exceptional Challenges Call for Artists 2nd Annual Juried Invitational Show Oct. 21-24th 1999 Part of the Eighth Annual Art presented by The Women’s Committee of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at the 103rd Engineers Armory 33rd Street North of Market in Philadelphia SASE #10 to: Thom Duffy, USArtists99/PAFA Prospectus – 1301 Cherry Street 8th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 If you have any questions feel free to contact us at US Artists office 215-972-0550 or Email us at [email protected]
SURVIVOR FOR SURVIVOR
by Candyce Brokaw
On Saturday June 26th E-mail arrived late in the day from Marietta, stating that the Army had just given clearance to participate in the Outreach Project at Fort Dix. My heart was racing! I had so much to do in so little time. We had just moved into a new house on Friday, and I was still up to my ears in boxes. At least the kids were out of school. My oldest, who had just graduated from college was home, and the younger two, having just finished 8th and 11th grade, were set with their summer jobs.
On Sunday morning I desperately needed a 35mm camera and film. Marietta said, “Try to get at least five packs of Polaroid film donated if you can.” “Where am I going to get a donation of film on such short notice?” I then said, to my husband, “Can you please get me all these things? I still need to pack, do the wash, write press releases and most of all get ready to leave tonight!”
I spent hours spent laboring over the wording of this press release, only to hear at 4 PM that day from the powers that be, “No press releases will be allowed out before the project takes place.” Okay, no big deal! Now, I can at least finish my packing. I tossed the last important item, my favorite stuffed animal, into my bag, and off I went to Fort Dix to work with the survivors of the Kosovo war.
I live in the Hamptons, and leaving a Sunday night, the trip would more than likely take at least the equivalent time it would take to fly to Kazoo!
Monday came quickly. I arrived at the Red Cross Station at Fort Dix, where Marietta was already waiting for me, with big smiles and hugs. This amazing and warm woman is herself a survivor of unspeakable abuse in an orphanage. She has dedicated twenty-five years of her life to teaching art, and over the past few years to needy and at-risk populations. She has worked in boys&Mac226; prisons, teenage girls&Mac226; rape crisis centers, and has created magnificent murals with the deaf, blind, and Native American populations.
Although we had written via E-mail for sometime, we had only met in person a week before. Marietta and her fiancée, Rik, drove up from Delaware to look over the exhibition space at Hofstra University, where August 14th, our organization, Survivors Art Foundation, will provide a Multi-Media Art Exhibition for the Acoustic Neuroma Association. She seemed like a nice person, one whom I would feel comfortable rooming with during this important weeklong Out-Reach project.
I too am a survivor of rape and abuse, and because of it I am a bit nervous and hesitant to be away from the safety and security of my home and loved ones for a prolonged period of time. Well, at least we have this bond, this commonality of abuse, as unfortunate a commonality as it may be. We can support each other if we become emotional shaky during the project.
“Flight to Freedom” was designed as an Inter-Active Art Project, by Marietta, for the Kosovo refugees and some US Army soldiers. This title seemed very apropos. We worked with groups of refugees ranging in age of small children to adults. The event produced 38 circular children’s pieces of art, and 10 enormous (4-foot) silk masterpieces created by young adults. There is a semi-transparent effect on the silk paintings, which almost look like stained glass under the correct lighting.
We worked in a yellow and white striped tent. It was pretty hot those first few days, but the wind, for good or bad, was strong at times — good for the sweat dripping down my back, bad for the pictures and paint cups that went flying about till we taped them all down securely.
The Kosovo refugees who participated in the project were each given a Polaroid snapshot of themselves with their completed artwork. This was the first time that many of the children had ever seen an instant photograph, and they were delighted with the gift.
I was most amazed by the children who were just that “children” — happy, joyful, running, laughing children. As soon as they saw the results of the Polaroid camera, that was it! They all surrounded my legs, like some large hoop skirt. They were tugging and pulling and competing for my attention. “Teacher, Teacher” (one of the few English words spoken by most of them). The rest in Albanian, my guess being, “Take my picture, take my picture.” Having no gift for a foreign language, I was tried to communicate with my hands.”
On the second day, there was a table towards the back of the tent where some teenagers were sitting. They decided to paint with us as well. At times, they asked questions through the interpreters such as, what organization were we from, and what the project was about. I found myself staring at the young women, scouting their faces, tying to determine if anyone of them was a rape survivor such as myself. I would never mention anything of my past traumatic experiences, or ask about theirs. We were there strictly to help them feel better, to offer art and beauty, not to dredge up painful feelings. We were there as artists and teachers, not therapists.
On the third day Marietta and I got up early. We had to drive back to Delaware, because the shipment of the large pieces of silk we were waiting for was arriving from Germany. Arty’s USA Corporation generously donated the silk fabric. Dekart Inc. provided the paint, the Silver Brush Corporation, provided the brushes and Donald Fitzgerald. I met Marietta’s son and friends and visited her studio and home, and then turned right around and went back to Ft. Dix.
The last day we finally got to work inside with an air conditioner! Slowly, people drifted into the room. We found chairs and began to set up the large pieces of silk on the tables. I was utterly amazed as I saw these young men and women begin to sketch out these enormously complex and beautiful paintings onto the silk. I am thought to myself, “How are they ever going to complete this much work in just one day?” Except for a short lunch break, they sat and painted their hearts and souls out for nine to ten hours straight. There were two members of the United States Army; both were chaplain assistants, who were also incredibly talented artists. They created fantastic pieces honoring the Kosovo people, their history and religion. One painting of a Muslim Mosque was extremely complicated.
My energy level was really on a downward spiral towards the end of the day, and along came this little androgynous angel. The reason I say “androgynous” is because, up until that day I was under the impression that blonde-hair Majlinda was a little boy. Later, with my glasses on, I looked closely at the identification badge, which said, “nine-year-old female.” She had painted with us in the outside tent the first day, and now had somehow found us in the building complex. Majlinda, wasn&Mac226;t like most of the other children; she didn&Mac226;t run and play as freely. She sat quietly, and wanted to stay close and sit and watch us. At first I asked her if she wanted to paint another piece of silk, even though we really weren&Mac226;t working with her age group that day. I needed somehow to make her smile. I offered her my potato chips and cookies that were left over from lunch, but she declined it all. She seemed tired and only wanted to sit near me, content to feel close I guess. I had never seen her with friends or family, but they may have been elsewhere on the large base. My father died when I was eight years old, and I suppose this, coupled with her manner and all the other circumstances, really drew me into her loneliness. I tried to think of what could give this child to make her happy. A friend of mine had recently given me a crystal heart as a gift of hope and safety. I really loved that heart, and being a bit of a baby myself, I was torn about giving my gift away on impulse. The more I thought about it, nothing could have possibly meant more about love and hope than giving the crystal to this little girl. I held it up to my eye and then to hers, to teach her how it can become like a kaleidoscope, and it creates rainbows from the prisms. You know what? Accepting the gift, Majlinda smiled. I went back to working with the others who were painting, and a short while later, she came up and hugged me “goodbye.” It was a nice goodbye, yet anti-climactic in a sense. What had touched me even more, was seeing this child, all of these children, who like my self had been touched by tragedy and trauma. She smiled, she survived, and she went on.
At the end of the day, as we were packing up to leave, a pretty young woman who had participated in the project, asked us to have coffee with her family in their room. Not really liking coffee but not wanting to offend her, Marietta and I went back to her room, which was a small barracks with four single beds and lockers for clothes, no doubt for soldiers under normal circumstances.
Earlier that day through the interpreter, we discovered much to our surprise, that three of the young teenage girls (all under 18) including her were sisters. We had also met the girl’s mom, when she had strolled into the room we were painting, with the youngest of her babes in her arms. She was a very young looking mother of eight, with a warm and wonderful toothless smile. Back at the room, we found we had also worked with some of their younger siblings on the first two days. The woman making the coffee on the hot plate was a woman we had also met on the first day. Marietta asked through the interpreter why the woman only had one earring. Had she dropped it in the tent area? The woman then explained that the Serbs would pull the gold earrings out, and that she had even hidden her jewelry in the ground in front of her house back in Kosovo. She wore her rings on the day she had left, hoping that if she needed to save her life, she could bribe her way out. Fortunately, for this woman, her son, and the rest of this incredible family, almost all of them had gotten out safely. We sat drinking coffee with the smiling grandma who had a white babushka on her head. I took a snapshot of this great family. The dad was a professional soccer player with a huge black mustache. There were seven girls and one adorable little boy with ringlet curls. Sadly, one was missing. I never did find out what had happened to that one child; I felt it was too intrusive to ask. So there we were, stuffed into this tiny room, — the aunt I spoke of earlier, her son, another uncle, and her brother, who been a child psychologist in Kosovo.
The young women who had invited us to the room showed us a framed drawing of the Statue of Liberty next to a small vase of flowers on her windowsill. This may sound outrageously corny and fabricated, but it is the honest-to-God truth. I have a photo of her with a shining face proudly holding up the picture. I don’t think most Americans can understand or conceptualize the absolute Holocaust aspect of what has occurred to these people!
This family’s survival was miraculous! They will be were being relocated to Missouri, and will then have the option of staying in the United States or going back to Kosovo, when it is safer. I was so glad to have been a part of all of this, to have meet and shared with them, their stories, and their beautiful artwork. I tried to document the entire project with my new camera, and considering I never did figure out how to work the zoom lens, the photographs came out pretty good, if I do say so myself. The time spent with the refugees was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life! The finished pieces of hand painted images of the survivors&Mac226; own impressions on silk, will be displayed. Survivors Art Foundation will first exhibit them at the Hofstra University Multi-Media Art Exhibition, on August 14th. After this premiere exhibit, the pieces will tour with SAF National Exhibitions and will be digitally reproduced on the Survivors Art Foundation Internet Art Gallery at: https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org.
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has just requested to exhibit the Kosovo pieces in the lobby of the United Nations in June of 2000.
ARTIST’S NEWS
This section is dedicated to participating artists who are having events. We will announce your shows, events, and accomplishments HERE. (All material submitted is subject to editing and to available space.)
Dan Rhema who resides in Kentucky is a Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic area.
Dan had a show June 11th and 12th which was a two-day seminar examining the influence of art on physical and spiritual healing. There was a screening of “Altered Visions: The Dan Rhema Story.” A performance of “A Quest for Healing,” was one of the seminar topics; others were “Surviving Trauma through Art,” “The Near Death Experience,” “Art Therapy,” “Art and Spirituality” and “E.M.D.R. Trauma Therapy. “
The speakers are Toby Drucker on “Art and Spirituality.” Toby is a board member of the Speed Museum, LVAA, and Interfaith Committee Jewish Foundation. E.M.D.R. therapy speaker was Mary Ellen Zuvernik, Ph.D. “Near Death Experience” Susan Rhema, M.S.W., and C.I.S.W. Art Therapy topic speaker was Abby Calisch, Dean of the University of Louisiana, Art Therapy Department.
The seminar drew a mixture of survivors, art patrons and healing professionals. The Louisville Visual Art Association (one of the participants) has asked me to do a show focused on healing. Dan has also been given a one-man show with the Chapman Gallery next year.
This year the Art Therapy Association will be lobbying the Kentucky Legislature for insurance covered art therapy. They have asked to use the documentary along with other parts of the event to assist them in their efforts. Several SAF participating artist came from Cincinnati for the entire two-day event.
Two paintings and one sculpture were sold.
There was a nice article in the “Courier-Journal” newspaper, and “Leo” Magazine also featured an article, and selected the event as their “Staff Pick” for the upcoming event of the week.
The “Courier-Journal” art critic has agreed to review Dan’s show, July 7-31, 1999 at the University of Louisville Hospital lobby gallery. All the local TV news programs stations and “Louisville Tonight,” an entertainment program, will also cover this show. Congratulations Dan, on a job well done.
Judy Castelli at Roseanne Show
Judy Castelli was interviewed for the Roseanne Barr Show for the second time. Judy is a stained glass artist living on The East End of Long Island. Judy’s work can be seen on our website as Participating Artist in the March “Birth” Show.
VOICES in Action
Victims Of Incest Can Emerge Survivors
VOICES in Action, Inc. is an international organization that assist victims of incest and child sexual abuse in becoming survivors, and to generates public awareness of the prevalence of incest.
Survivors Art Foundation also sponsored this Exhibition. The 17th Annual International Conference on Child Sexual Abuse and Art Exhibit was held on May 20-23, 1999 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the Airport Hilton. “Reaching deep within . . . Finding Our Strengths”
GRANT INFORMATION
Does Anyone’s Job or Corporation give funding for Associations or organizations?
Does anyone work for Bell Atlantic? Example: Bell Atlantic offers grants to organizations that have volunteers who are employees of Bell Atlantic. Grant money is needed to help fund shows. If you are an employee of a large corporation, which provides funding, and would like to volunteer, please e-mail us at [email protected]. Subject: Funding/Volunteer
Hello do you have an opinion?
That’s right! We would like to know your opinion on some art books, self-help or spiritual uplifting books or just books that have helped you in the survival of your trauma. We are now going to be linked to Amazon.com online. They are asking for our opinions. What are your favorite books?
A RETROSPECTIVE Letter
From the Executive Director – Candyce Brokaw
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think this organization would grow at this rate in just one year, and with only volunteers! It has been an on going healing and empowering experience for me, that somehow has become a healing vehicle for others as well.
I founded Survivors Art Foundation in September of 1997, and last summer my husband bought a $140 Microsoft program and put up the Internet Art Gallery. A year later, we have “virtually exploded,” attracting talented participants from forty-seven states in the US, and twelve countries, including Canada, New Zealand, England, Holland, Australia, Guatemala, Bosnia, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines. https://www.survivorsartfoundation.org
Participants cross all cultures, genders, ages, and religions. They represent traditional and exploratory disciplines of the visual, literary and performing arts arenas. They are survivors, working through their personal journeys, which span physical and domestic violence, PTSD, holocaust and war-related trauma, rape, sexual abuse, illness such as AIDS and cancer, head trauma, MS, mental illness, and other disabilities.
We designed SAF to envelop all trauma survivors with both mental and physical disabilities. One reason for this is that all trauma survivors will benefit from the arts as an adjunct outlet for expression of their pain and eventual healing. This will also allow the world to see us without bias to genders, or traumas.
Our Mission Statement is: Healing through Art … Art through Healing. Dedicated to encourage healing through the arts. Survivors Art Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to empowering Visual, Literary, and Performing Artists with effective expressive outlets, via Web Gallery, National Exhibitions, Outreach Programs, and Publications. Our goals are to provide entertainment, education, exposure to the arts, and raising public awareness, while mainstreaming trauma survivors with physical and mental disabilities into the arts.
Volunteers in Connecticut and Holland have taken over the maintenance of the Internet Art gallery site; another volunteer is in charge of all membership, databases, newsletters, and staggering amounts of mail. With the help of a dedicated President, Barbara Hope, and Board of Directors, Regional Directors and Advisors, SAF is going “full steam ahead” into the Millennium.
Survivors Art Foundation was selected to receive a Decentralization Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, for our first Multi-Media Art Exhibition titled “Birth,” in Southampton, NY. We have also in March just co-sponsored the Ninth International Health Awareness Networks Symposium at the United Nations. We have just successfully completed another art exhibition in May, with the Voices in Action, Incest Awareness Organization’s 17th Annual Conference, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Kosovo Outreach Program with its silk panels just being finished and waiting to be displayed on the virtual gallery, has been one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life! The Lilith Fair Concert tour has asked us to provide their concert attendees at Jones Beach, NY; Hartford, CT; and Denver CO, with an interactive Arts program to commemorate the final Lilith Fair this August. The finished pieces will later be displayed on the Lilith and SAF Web Sites, and will tour with the SAF Multi-Media Exhibition.
There are many other projects being planned for the future including, an anthology of Survivor’s Art, Poetry, and Photography, as well as an eventual Documentary Film, and a Children/Adolescent Internet Art Gallery Page.
I am looking forward to the continuation and growth of this vital organization with whom it has been a pleasure to meet and work with all of you.
Sincerely,
Candyce Brokaw
Help NEEDED – SAF needs volunteers
“Show Coordinator” Correspondence for the shows-Job Descriptions: The person needed for this job would have to make sure that Applications got out to requesting parties. Returned applications came back to be filed out for the program for the shows. Sending letters of acceptance to Participating Artists, letting them know which artwork was accepted and where to send it.
“Corresponding Secretary” (file clerk) We need about up to 4 hours a week of help to keep up with the mailing of form letters to people interested in the organization. Any amount of help be gratefully appreciated. A little help is better than none.
“Data Entry” You would be entering information into our database. It requires simple typing into the computer. We could use also someone to help with the e-mail.
“Grant Writer” Someone with knowledge of grant writer and all its “ins and outs” is necessary. Please call. We can negotiate possible fees.
Suggestion Box
We would like your suggestion regarding what you would like to see in your newsletter. In which special categories are you interested? This is your newsletter. Your input is important to us. We want to hear from you. Address your comments to S.A.F.E.-NEWSLETTER; -PO Box 136; Hampton Bays, NY 11946
ALL information for the Newsletter will be subjected to editing. Information will be placed in the newsletter, as space is available. Send entries to
S.A.F.E.- NEWSLETTER; -PO Box 136; Hampton Bays, NY 11946Or E-mail:[email protected]. Subject: Newsletter
CALENDAR
August 4th Hartford CT Lilith Fair
August 6th Jones Beach NY Lilith Fair
August 14th Hofstra University Exhibit with Acoustic Neuroma Association
August 28th and 29th Denver, Colorado Lilith Fair