We received this very moving information about how one local art studio is responding to the Haiti emergency. If you can help, the contact info is below.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2010
Contact: Beth Degi, Art Studio Miami
Phone: (301) 448-8701
Email: Beth@ArtStudioMiami.org

PRESS RELEASE
Little Haiti Based Non-Profit Responds to Meek’s Call for Leadership
Art Studio Miami Increasing Capacity to Serve Youth Impacted by Haiti Earthquake

January 22, 2010, Miami, FL- Little Haiti based Art Studio Miami (ASM) is ramping up volunteer efforts in response to the anticipated influx of refugee children pouring into Miami from earthquake ravaged Haiti. ASM annually serves approximately 200 youth from the impoverished area of Little Haiti, and staff expect demand to increase dramatically in the coming months as children orphaned by the earthquake arrive in South Florida.

Kendrick Meek (D-FL) addressed news crews on Tuesday at the City of Miami’s staging area for Haiti relief, located directly across the street from ASM. Meek called for local organizations to provide leadership and support during the long period of rebuilding.

“South Florida is in this for the long haul; this will be the center for the recovery. . . and we are going to need leadership and understanding,” said Meek.

In response to Meek’s appeal, ASM volunteers and staff have begun working around the clock to prepare for additional students in the coming months. An army volunteer teaching artists and administrators have stepped up to provide holistic programming that will allow children impacted by the disaster to express their feelings through creative projects that prepare them for academic success.

“We must provide safe spaces where youth can heal and build solid foundations for better lives,” said Art Studio Miami Founder and lead volunteer, Rachel Hughes.

Since 2007, ASM has served over 500 youth from Little Haiti and Overtown using creative, art based projects to nurture students’ creative thinking abilities and prepare them for classroom settings and job situations. The organization partners with professional artists and community leaders to provide students with mentors and concrete tools to remain in school, and gain stable employment after graduation. Programs incorporate yoga, meditation, and deep breathing to help student’s develop positive ways to address the distressing living situations they face daily.

“In the wake of this disaster, people are forgetting that many Haitian people who have already immigrated to Miami are in desperately impoverished conditions, living below the poverty level, which in several cases means homelessness, no running water, and little to no food or water,” said Hughes.

According to Hughes, many of the youth served at ASM are struggling to obtain an education due to language barriers and health issues from lack of water, food and clean living conditions.

Hughes is calling on the Miami business and philanthropic communities to provide financial support and supplies for youth being served at Art Studio Miami. Donations of non perishable food, bottled water, and funding are being accepted to offset the costs of increasing programming. Donations can be made starting Monday at www.ASMHelpLittleHaiti.org or by calling the ASM office at 786-317-8118.

ASM volunteers are also on the ground in Haiti. A team of ASM volunteers left for Port-au-Prince early Tuesday morning to assisting directly with the relief efforts on the ground. Nearly all of the students served at ASM have family still in Haiti.

Art Studio Miami uses art as a tool for educational, emotional, and career development. Through the arts, we teach life skills to prepare students for successful futures. Youth in foster care, homeless situations, and extreme poverty depend on us to provide tools that empower them to gain stable employment and contribute to our community.

Art Studio Miami programs go far beyond art – they are lifelines out of poverty. According to the Florida 11th Judicial Circuit Court’s Juvenile Justice Board, one in three youth in the area served by ASM will be imprisoned by age twenty-one. Our programs focus on dismantling the ‘Cradle to Prison Pipeline’ by providing students with mentors and tools to create a future free from the crippling effects of poverty.

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Art Studio Miami
7230 NW Miami Ct
Studio #5 Purple Door
Miami, Fl 33150
Phone. 786.317.8118
www.ArtStudioMiami.org
“Every Child is an Artist. The Challenge is How to Remain an Artist Once We Grow Up.” –Picasso

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Life Is Art invites EVERYONE – artists of all disciplines, art professionals, art collectors, and all art fans to come to our networker for the arts community! Creative Connections is a chance to meet artists, gallerists, dealers, collectors, and art fans to discuss issues facing the arts community in Miami, network, pass out business cards, and just have fun! This month we are hosted by River Lounge on Brickell!

Life Is Art Creative Connections 3
River Of Art Showcase
Artistic Networker and Fundraiser
Tweetup for a Cause

Sponsored by Yelp.com
August 11, 6pm-11pm
Hosted by River Lounge at Epic, 270 Biscayne Boulevard Way, Google Map
FREE
Complimentary Cocktail with RSVP
$5 Valet
A portion of the evenings’s proceeds go to support Life Is Art
Dress Code: Artistically Upscale
Networking and more

Featuring Miami Artists:   Carla Fache ~  Carson Case ~  Ross Ford ~  R. E. SANCHEZ
Fashion by:    Adriana Pitic Clothing ~  Debra Cortese Environtmental Purses ~  Cindy Jimenez Recycled Jewelry ~  Brown Betty Hair Pieces
Music by:   DJ Soozin and special guest
Live Performances by Jillian the Fire Dancer and Nestor on the drums

In addition to our Creative Connections networker, this is also a very special event called River Of Art! Instead of our regular educational presentation, we are going to be featuring several Miami artists, plus have live performances, fashion, and music.

River Lounge is graciously donating a complimentary drink to everyone on the RSVP list. They are also donating a portion of the proceeds to Life Is Art! This is much needed revenue to help us continue to promote the Miami arts community. Be sure to say thanks to the proprietor, Bobby Brandt, for all their support. We hope that you will come out and bring ALL your friends so that we can make this a regular event!

The event is completely free, though contributions are gratefully accepted. Your support helps us continue to help the arts community.

We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to expand your network and help advance your artistic career. Please RSVP

One of our friends on the steering committee for the annual Educate Tomorrow fundraiser sent this request for donations for their silent auction. They are looking for art and all sorts of stuff. It is a nice way to get your name out and support a good cause, if you can spare something. Please see below for info.

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DONATION DEADLINE:  MAY 5

Here is some information on the upcoming Educate Tomorrow fundraiser. At Educate Tomorrow we mentor foster youth that have aged out of the system by helping them get into college by applying for special programs and grants. We also help them prepare for school, find affordable housing and get part time jobs. www.educatetomorrow.org.

You can see most of that information on the flyer below. The location is at Coco Plum Woman’s Club, 1375 Sunset Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33143 http://cocoplumparty.com from 6-9:30pm. The space is beautiful and is being kindly donated as they realize the caliber of attendees we expect to have and want to showcase their beautiful venue.

The last 2 years we’ve had over 300 people attend and even in the bad economy we’re expecting more this year because we’ve teamed up with 3 chambers and the FAWL (Florida Association of Women Lawyers) and hope to bring in guests from those organizations that have not attended in the past. We also plan to honor Elizabeth and Tom Smith for their 25th anniversary of The Wine News Magazine and they expect to bring in many of their supporters as well.

In the past we’ve had light hor d’oeurves, the wine tasting and silent auction but we want to make this a true event this year so we plan to have several food stations including Smith and Wollensky, Orantique on the Mile and Trattoria del Sol who have already agreed to be food sponsors for the event and we’re going to have a live band.

We will supply volunteers to help with anything they need.
I hope you can help, let me know anything else you need. I REALLY appreciate it!!!

Dear Friend of Educate Tomorrow,

We would like to invite you to show your support as a Corporate Sponsor or a Silent Auction item donor for Educate Tomorrow and our youth at the annual Wine Tasting & Silent Auction to be held on Friday, May 8, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The fundraiser will include live music, excellent wine and fare, and the company of top executives and professionals. Partnering organizations are the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County, the Florida Association of Woman Lawyers, the Miami Beach Women’s Business Council, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce’s 20/30 Group, and the SoFi Social Club. All benefits will serve youth who have aged out or will age out of foster care, were never adopted, and are alone – youth like Aisha:
Aisha attended a day-long “It’s Your Life” camp session when she was 19 years old. A community college student at the time, Aisha was introduced that day to her Educate Tomorrow mentor, Karen. Karen has helped Aisha through Independent Living Program hurdles and assisted her in transferring from Miami-Dade College to Florida A & M University. Aisha says that the “guidance and devotion I have received from my mentor is like no other. She has been an intricate part of my life.” Karen helped Aisha to secure a prestigious internship in Washington, D.C. with the Congressional Coalition for Adoption. Aisha is one of Educate Tomorrow’s first youth to complete a four-year college degree. Having recently graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in journalism/mass communication with hopes to transfer to a school in Washington, D.C. in the near future.
Educate Tomorrow, Corp. endeavors to create systematic change by guiding these youth one by one to a life of “Independence Through Education.” A small investment in their future is a huge investment in our future. National statistics reveal that less than 40% of foster youth finish school and that as high as 80% of prison inmates were at one time in the foster care system. In contrast, almost 100% of Educate Tomorrow’s foster youth are enrolled in educational programs. Educate Tomorrow currently serves 200 of the nearly 2,000 foster youth (between the ages of 13 and 21) in Miami-Dade County. With your help, we can serve nearly all of the youth in our community. The cost of mentoring, life skills training, and in-school support groups is approximately $2,000 per child for the first year. However, the cost of prison, welfare systems, or homeless intervention programs can range between $5,000 and $50,000 per year. Your donations or time as a volunteer can make the difference to a youth and create systematic change now and for our future.

Thank you in advance for your support of this important event! Our contact information is listed below.

Sincerely,
Virginia Emmons McNaught
Executive Director, Educate Tomorrow
Phone 305.374.3751 Fax 866.897.1564 www.educatetomorrow.org

This came to us thanks to Emilio Rodriguez. JunTus is a fundraiser and they are looking for art donations. You can get more information about them at their website. Below are the submission guidelines. I could be a good way to get a little more exposure. Defnitely check into it before you send anything.

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A. Each artist will donate one piece of artwork, not to exceed 24” x 36”.

B. Complete the Participating Artist Info Sheet. The top part will be kept by the auction committee, and the bottom part should be cut and pasted to the back of the artwork for buyer’s information. Please fax this form to: 305-667-8330. Attn: Maruchi. You can also fill it out and email it to: maruchi2323@aol.com.

C. JunTos will provide easels and/or tables for display.

D. Deadline for receiving art will be Monday, April the 20thth, 2009.

E. Maruchi, Lidia, or Alan, will contact you for delivery or pick up instructions.

F. All artwork that is not sold will be returned to the artist after the event.

G. Artist will receive two complementary tickets to attend the event. The party will be on Sat. May 2nd, 2009. Detailed information will be sent to you with invitation.

CONTACT NUMBERS:

Maruchi Mendez: 305-663-3222
Lidia Godoi: 305-298-7173
Alan Blanco: 305-282-2680