On Friday, May 1, 2009, BuildaBridge    celebrated the opening of our student art show, Seeds of Freedom, at Infusion Coffee and Tea in Mount Airy. Over 80 individuals attended the First Friday event, which featured a live jazz trio and fresh juice smoothies. Guests included students and their families from BuildaBridge's Philadelphia partner sites, Traveler's Aid and St. Barnabas, BuildaBridge staff and board members, and community members of all ages who joined in the celebration.

After its debut in Philadelphia in December 2008, BuildaBridge's art exhibit, IDignity traveled to Pennsylvania's capital city, Harrisburg, and is now on display at St. Stephen's Mission Gallery on Front Street. The show has been a success with more than 300 people in attendance to date. At the end of May, the show will travel back to Philadelphia and will be on display at Stapely in Germantown for the month of June.

April 23, 2009  "The Power of my Place" finished with its last trip to the Tulpehocken Train Station.  Students chose the site as a place they would like to see changed or improved.  A quick look at the building reveals why: peeling paint, rusting hardware, and a tattered tarp draping over the roof. 

"A train is coming!" Amira exclaimed and sent the class racing to the Northbound side of the tracks.  Everyone arrived just in time to gather around the train doors as people exited and then entered the train.  The students gripped their pencils with intensity and concentrated on the flurry of forms in order to catch a few gesture drawings.

Flathead Reservation, Montana: Aug 8-15: In conjunction with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana, BuildaBridge International will be working with local American Indian artists and Artists on Call from around the country to lead a 5-day Arts for Hope Camp.

Eastern Europe Gospel Extravaganza: July 25th-Aug 10th: BuildaBridge International is proud to announce our 2009 Goodwill Tour of Eastern Europe. We are launching an initiative to recruit and train gospel singers and musicians for a two-week gospel tour of Eastern Europe, culminating in an International Youth Festival in Koszeg, Hungary.

In the last month, I have come across dozens of amazing artists and community developers who are volunteering their time and collaborating with BuildaBridge International. Ben Pepka is one of these people. Ben has worked at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and is a muralist with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Currently, Ben is working in Helena, Montana, and is our main contact for our new Arts for Hope camp on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Ben has spent hours making contacts and forming relationships with artists and youth workers in Montana to make this trip possible. We would like to thank Ben for his commitment to BuildaBridge. Take a look at Ben's incredible photography and artwork.

For more information contact Rebekah Wilcox, Coordinator of International Programs 717-514-5200 (cell) or rwilcox@buildabridge.org

This has been a banner year for the Discovery program, with more than thirty volunteer classroom assistants participating in eleven classes ranging from dance to drama to culinary arts and beyond. Classroom assistants have stepped up to the plate in a variety of ways, from dedicating time outside of class to planning and preparation, to designing t-shirts and posters for final celebrations, and even running class when a lead teacher calls out sick.  They showed up, stuck around and built mentoring relationships with our students that lent consistency to the unpredictable setting of the shelter. We truly appreciate the hard work and loving presence they have maintained in our classes!  (Barbara Zanelli at Project Rainbow pictured on left)

Special thanks to those volunteers who stayed with the program from start to finish: Chelsea Andrews, Andres Celin, Kellie Gallagher, Beth Heinly, Kathryn Hunchar, Laura Kingbo, Anita Lai, Christine Manturuk, Robert Pasquale, Janis Pinkston, Jes Sobeck, Jonathan Steadman, Sarah Thompson, Liz Wilde, Carmen Williams, and Allison Yood!

 

If you are interested in becoming a classroom assistant in the 2009-10 Discovery program, please contact Sarah Heady, Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@buildabridge.org or 215-842-0428 x15.

Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in the print-making days at 2nd Baptist Church of Germantown, the results of which culminated in the "Seeds of Freedom" art show at InFusion (see above).  Volunteers greeted guests, managed art sales, and helped students with refreshments. An EXTRA special thanks to Daune Ring and Linda Koff, who helped out with all three events!