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Apply for our Fall 2011 training!

Posted on: June 24th, 2011 by shannon No Comments

Apply NOW! Entrepreneur Training for Success, Fall 2011.

Empowered Women International is recruiting 12-15 immigrant, refugee and low-income women artists, artisans and social entrepreneurs for its mentoring and business start-up training: Entrepreneur Training for Success (ETS). ETS is an award-winning program of Empowered Women International.

The program runs for three months from September to December every Monday from 6pm-9pm in Alexandria. Interested applicants can contact Shannon at shannon@ewint.org or call EWI at 571-366-7724.

Training tuition: Tuition is based on sliding scale fee.

Application deadline: August 15th

Interested in the program?

  • Read more about what it entails, who qualifies, what the graduation requirements are, and how you’ll benefit
  • Have a look at the Spring 2011 Course Schedule
  • Learn about the program’s history and its impact
  • Meet last semester’s students
  • APPLY!

Artist of the Month: Meseret Desta

Posted on: June 7th, 2011 by Erin No Comments

Meseret Desta has been creating beautiful and inspiring artwork all her life. She is an internationally acclaimed and award winning artist, originally from Ethiopia. Art has been a sanctuary for Meseret, who has faced many challenges in Ethiopia and here in the United States. She arrived in the U.S. in 2001 soon after September 11th. Although it was difficult to build a life in a new country, Meseret persevered through the challenges of attaining higher education and employment. Through it all, art remained at the center of her life.

Meseret pours her passion and emotions into her artwork. Her work focuses on portraits and figurative paintings, highlighting the struggles of women around the world. She incorporates nature into her paintings, especially the vivid and colorful open markets of Ethiopia, to represent freedom and hope. The smaller scale of portraits allows Meseret to portray powerful facial expressions, which she says is a way for her to “express my emotions through peoples’ faces in my art.”

Meseret pursued and completed many educational degrees in order to develop and grow her artistic talents. Meseret began her art studies at night school, and was later accepted in to the full-time day program. She majored in mural art, but also concentrates on mosaics, frescoes, macramé, and string collages, all while using bright and vibrant colors.

Meseret has been with Empowered Women International (EWI) since 2002. She enrolled in the business incubator program, and is a member and graduate of EWI’s Entrepreneur Training for Success. EWI helped arrange her first gallery showing, where Meseret was able to showcase the works she had created and successfully sold many of them. Meseret is grateful for the support and advice EWI offers about business and marketing, and she is motivated to help other artists who face similar challenges.

 

View more of Meseret’s work at her Website

Be sure to visit our Etsy shop to view and purchase Meseret’s work

 

 

Graduate Update: Cheryl Audet Lavoie

Posted on: June 7th, 2011 by Erin No Comments

“Works of special merit are the monotypes of… Cheryl Audet Lavoie… The spontaneous and immediate qualities of Ms. Lavoie’s ‘Sea Ranch’ and ‘Brayer’ are particularly arresting.”

Robert R. Newlen

Since graduation Cheryl has pursued her artistic career and has exhibited in the past year in several Juried or Curated exhibitions including:

  • The Visual Arts Center of Panama City, Panama City
  • Panama City Arts, Panama City
  • The Senior Center at Panama City Beach, Panama City, Florida
  • Del Ray Artisans, Virginia
Working from her studio located right in Alexandria, Virginia, Cheryl has continued to produce beautiful drawings and paintings.  EWI graduate Cheryl Audet Lavoie has a piece of work being exhibited at the Del Ray Gallery exhibit this month!  Be sure to check out her work!

Thank you to the Womenade Cirlce!

Posted on: June 6th, 2011 by shannon No Comments

Thank you so much to Womenade for selecting Empowered Women International as one of their 2011 grantees along with Jubilee Jobs and Computer Corps!

We had a fabulous time mixing and mingling at the celebratory potluck fundraiser on on Friday evening!

Learn more about Womenade and how they support women in DC Metro area.

 

EWI staff and members with other Womenade grantees.

We the People Project Blog

Posted on: June 1st, 2011 by shannon No Comments

"Abaya Driving"

For the most up-to-date information about We the People Project on June 11th visit EWI’s We the People Project Blog.  Here you’ll find interviews with the artists and performers, details about the film and panel discussions, and other exciting event information.

 

About We the People Project 2011

We the People Project 2011: The Lives, Art, and Cultures of Muslim and Arab Women – June 11, 11 am to 7:30 pm
Takoma Park Community Center
7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912
Free of Charge, RSVP Required

 

 

 

 

Are you eager for peace in our world? Would you like people of different religions, race, color and creed understand each other better, so that in time we can eradicate fear and terrorism and bring peace and understanding to our global community? If so, avail of a wonderful opportunity to meet talented Muslim and Arab women artists, writers, activists and community leaders at Empowered Women International’s third annual We the People Project on June 11th at the Galleries of Takoma Park Community Center.

Join us for a full day cultural event celebrating the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Muslim and Arab community in the DC Metro area.

 

Muslim Artists Studios – 11am to 5pm
Free of Charge and Open to the Public!
Artists: Amal Derder, Huda Totonji, MFA, PhD, Jameela Alter, Kamar Derder, and Nadia Janjua.

 

 

 

 

Jewelry and Entrepreneurship Workshop 2010

  • Explore Islamic Ornamentation and Arabic calligraphy with Huda Totonji, MFA, PhD.
  • Visit a traditional Moroccan room, and the amazing work of two Moroccan sisters, Amal Derder, a jewelry designer and Kamar Derder a textile artist and decorator.
  • Experience contemporary painting in the Muslim world, and spiritual expression of Islamic architecture with an American-born Painter and Architect of Kashmiri-Pakistani origin, Nadia Janjua.
  • Meet Muslim novelist, Jameela Alter and discuss her book, “On Clipped Wings.” Jameela will also showcase her passion for hand-making simple, inspirational books and cards.

Film Festival presented by 20,000 Dialogues – 11am to 2:30pm
Free of Charge and Open to the Public!

-11:00 am-noon – On a Wing and a Prayer, a heartwarming story about a devout Muslim American family in rural America.  See the film here.

-Noon-12:30pm – Panel Discussion with contributors from the book “I Speak for Myself”

-1-2:30 pm – Screening of My Fellow American followed by a panel discussion with contributors from the book, “ I Speak for Myself”

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibiting Artists Talk and Book Presentation – 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Exhibiting Artists: Farah Diba Ahmed, Haleema Rehman, Helen Zughaib, Huda Totonji, MFA, PhD, Jamiah Adams, Monica Jahan Bose, Nadia Janjua, Sarah Jawaid.

-Talk by Exhibit Curator and Participating Artists

-Author, Jameela Alter will share her personal life story that inspired the novel “On Clipped Wings”

A light fare reception will follow in the lobby 5-5:45pm

“Unveiled” One Woman Show with Pakistani-born artist, Rohina Malik – 6:00-7:30pm

Tickets: $15 per person by June 1st

$20 per person June 2-11

RSVP and Buy Your Ticket Now!

“Rohina Malik is a remarkable new theatrical voice in Chicago”

-Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

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