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At Art4Development.Net, we are hands-on. Even though we cannot imagine a world without virtual connectivity and the reach of the internet, we love getting our hands dirty and creating in-person, immersive experiences. We bring together communities and local organizations, artists, and corporate partners, transforming all types of spaces into safe places to interact, inspire, learn, and create.
From designing visual and performing arts workshops to curating exhibitions and gallery talks, we repurpose spaces into edutaining opportunities as we cover several developmental issues, advocate and help activate communities, locally and globally. Here are just a few of our efforts!
Do you have a space and want to explore creative and artsy ways to engage your stakeholders? Invite us to your events or let’s partner and design customized and inspirational experiences together to make positive impact.
Visual Arts Workshops and Expressions
In partnership with the Global Piece Tiles initiative, Art4Devlopment.Net facilitated a series of hands-on workshops creating 8’x8’, multi-media wooden “Peace Tiles” to help create dialogue and solutions for those affected by AIDS. These tiles, in the form of a mural, were exhibited at the “Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria” and a children’s pediatric AIDS center in South Africa on World AIDS Day.
We conducted such workshops together with organizations like CARE International, Euronet International, District of Columbia Arts Center, National Conference on Dialogue and Deliberation and the International Global Health Conference.
Another hands-on effort was the “Making Coins” workshop at the International Child Arts Foundation’s Arts Olympiads. Through the use of clay and interacting with the “investment board”, children were able to learn about the intersection of education, poverty, and economic development.
Performing Arts Lab
Art4Development.Net collaborated with Istanbul Technical University Centre for Advanced Studies in Music to help develop the “Sound Project” component of the CreativeChange Youth Project. The sounds created by young sound engineers, help visitors visualize situations and circumstances.
During Artomatic Washington DC, Art4Development.Net hosted an experimental “Sound and Dance Project” that featured an improv movement and expressions session, in guidance with subject matter experts:
- Award-winning and critically acclaimed choreographer and dancer, Nejla Yatkin (Associate Professor of Dance, University of Maryland and Artistic Director of NY2Dance)
- Helina Metaferia, Community, Healing, and Visual Artist
- Binahkaye Joy, Indigenous Open Space Performing Artist.
To recognize the International Women’s Day and raise funds for the Calvary Women’s Shelter in Washington DC, Art4Development.Net organized a benefit concert with Sinem Saniye, a multi-award-winning singer and songwriter from New York City. Some of her most notable awards include the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, and the Lennon Award, started by Yoko Ono herself. Her songs, produced by Grammy-nominated and winning producers, have world music influences, mixed with Pop, Bossa Nova, Americana, Middle-eastern, Tango, and Jazz tunes.
Gallery Exhibits and Talks
Art4Development.Net partnered with the award-winning “For Women By Women” photo project to highlight violence against women issue and help generate funding for shelters that provide supportive services for victims of abuse. We’ve organized month-long exhibits, panel discussions and fundraisers with galleries and public art facilities in the Washington DC metro area like the Takoma Park Arts and Humanities Commission and Warehouse Gallery.
Art4Development.Net organizes “Pop-up” Arts Exhibits and discussions on various topics, aimed at activating event participants to take action (making pledges, helping raise funds, or advocating). Among some of these pop-up exhibits have been:
- “Arts, Identity and Societal Inclusivity” Exhibit at the Fridge Art gallery that featured the works of NEBA and engaged participants in inspiring conversations with guest speakers Allison Weiss, Executive Director of Sandy Spring Museum and curator of “Uprooted Exhibit” and Cameron Okeke from the Urban Institute. The discussion created the opportunity for attendees to share their perspectives on issues ranging from identity to socio-cultural mobility, refugees, and societal inclusivity.
“Eco-arts mobile arts exhibits” was initially launched at the International Visions Arts Gallery as part of the “Earth Day” celebrations. The mobile art piece features the work of over 60 artists from numerous cities in the USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Columbia, Angola, Finland, and South Africa. Additional follow-up exhibits took place at the Hillyer Art Space that created an opportunity to engage participants with an expert panel discussing the value of creativity in addressing environmental issues.
“Rejuvenating Communities with Creativity: A Dialogue around the Arts, Environment, and Sustainable Living” Gallery Talk with Kristin M. Lamoureux, Director, International Institute of Tourism Studies, School of Business, The George Washington University; Sandra Leibowitz Earley, AIA, LEED AP from Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC; Jamie Reaser, Environmental Consultant; and Jen Athanas, Recycle Fashion Designer.
X-Space Community Engagements
We get excited about the multi-purpose use of spaces in unexpected places and moments and design with intention. We visualize experiences that may help seed ideas, and inspire and activate the passersby to take meaningful actions.
From shop windows on the street to libraries, museums, restaurants, farmers markets, corporate team-building events, and even birthday/holiday parties, we design age-appropriate, inspirational, and interactive programs that ultimately aim at creating positive change.
For example, in the last few years, Art4Development.Net has been at farmers’ markets facilitating proprietary “Mr. Shovel & Ms Spoon” arts and crafts activities to help young families and children learn about the importance of soil health and healthy eating.
Another example is the Art4Devlopment.Net pop-up miniature ‘eco-arts’ exhibit that took place during Earth Week where a round-table conversation was led by Nil Navaie, Founder/President with subject matter experts on edible landscapes, sustainable living and global food security.
Since 2002, our donors and collaborators for projects and edutaining events have included a variety of entities, among them individual contributors, and the following:
- In-kind/Facility Donors: DC Arts Center, Warehouse Gallery, Takoma Park Arts and Humanities Commission; Martin Luther King Jr. Library; International Galleria at Georgetown University; University of Maryland, George Washington University, International Visions Gallery; Pangea/IFC, Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, Peace and a Cup of Joe, Central Farm Market, Touchstone Gallery, Hillyer Arts Center, The Fridge DC Gallery
- Project/ Event Sponsors/Supporters: OgilvyOne Turkey; FedexKinko’s; Turkish Industrialist and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD US); Kardelen Dance Company; Costco, Equals Three Communications, Inc.; Honest Tea
- Corporate Sponsor (Pro-bono work): Alston & Bird, LLC.
- Project based Communication-Media Sponsors/ Supporters/ Editorials: Communication Initiative; Lebriz; Mezun.Com; United Nations World Volunteer Web; Voice of America (Press: Takoma Voice; Turkuaz; Sabah Newspaper; Milliyet Sanat; Vizyon; Canvas Magazines; TV: NTV/CNBC-e; TV 8; Global Health Channel)
- Project Partners: United Nations Millennium Campaign/UNDP; TakingITGlobal; ActALIVE; Peace Tiles; Euronet International; Istanbul Technical University / MIAM American-Turkish Association of Washington DC; Musa Heritage Gallery Cameroon; Girl Child Art Foundation Nigeria, CHF International.