Winter 2008- Newsletter
Welcome to the Canvas Update
Bringing you all the latest news from CCT Chiang Mai
Dear friends of Cultural Canvas,
Your help is needed. Cultural Canvas is always working towards the betterment of the community in Chiang Mai. As a part of the community, whether on a local or global scale, we are looking to you to help us keep Cultural Canvas alive and well. We have a lot of projects coming and our dedicated staff and volunteers are working very hard to make these projects a success. Please consider donating something to Cultural Canvas; whether it is in the form of time, supplies, or cash funds, we are always grateful. Consider donating in someone else’s name as a gift this year and it will be appreciated by more than just the receiver.
Your donations can be made online at: www.culturalcanvas.com/donate.php
Or sent to: 1001 N. Barcelona Street, Pensacola, FL, 23501 USA
THE NEWS
A Brighter Day with a Splash of Paint for Single Mothers
In October, the Canvas Art Program and Wildflower Home Foundation came together to create a scenic mural on the cement walls of the foundation’s bathroom in a two-day workshop. Wildflower Home provides safe shelter, education, health and other services to young single mothers who are either pregnant or have very young children with the aim of helping them achieve self sufficiency. Due to their status as women, as poor, as mothers out of wedlock, and for many, as indigenous, this target population faces many forms of discrimination.
In the workshop, the mothers of Wildflower, their children and the CAP team painted ceramic tiles with scenes depicting memories of home, which for the tribal participants is far from the foundation where they now reside. After painting, the tiles were incorporated into a large-as-life jungle scene covering every inch of their once plain bathroom. The aim of the workshop was to have a creative and relaxing day for mothers and their children while adding a touch of hominess and a splash of color to WHF. It was a great success with cooperation between mothers, children and the CAP Team. We look forward to collaborating with Wildflower Home on many more projects to come. The tiles for this workshop were kindly donated to us by Donjai Srivichainanda from Mae Rim Ceramic Studio.
Super Volunteer Takes CAP to New Heights
In her whirlwind, two-month visit, Mairi Summers, an artist/art therapist from Scotland, came to Chiang Mai and gave CCT her all. With great dedication, Mairi helped us to develop various art workshops with partner organizations Mplus, Wildflower Home Foundation, and Chiang Mai Buddhakasetra. She inspired the CAP Team to learn Batik and incorporate it into future workshops. As a skilled art therapist, Mairi offered individual sessions to several women at Wildflower Home and a group session at MPlus. At Studio Xang, an artistic outreach organization, Mairi offered volunteers an art therapy training session to assist with their program. The success of her art therapy sessions have motivated CAP to develop an art therapy program focused on one-on-one sessions in addition to our group workshops. While Mairi was only here a few months, her contribution to our programs and participants will be felt for years to come. Thank you, Mairi!
CAP Wins a New Website
Cultural Canvas Thailand’s Canvas Art Program is the first winner of the first Non-Profit Marketing Giveaway Package from Good Ink Inc and Not Dead Yet Studios. Good Ink Inc (www.goodinkinc.com) is an amazing freelance copywriting shop and Not Dead Yet Studios (www.notdeadyetstudios.com) is a design firm that breathes art into marketing. These two companies have come together to support CAP in spreading the joy of art through a website that will be dedicated exclusively to the art program. We can’t wait!
Thank you for your kind support!
The mission of Cultural Canvas Thailand is to generate awareness and volunteer support of the current social issues facing Chiang Mai, Thailand. We promote equality, community interaction, and social change through volunteer services and artistic outreach in conjunction with local organizations. Cultural Canvas Thailand provides service and supplies to projects in the following areas:
- HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention
- Burmese Refugee Aid and Education
- Women’s Empowerment
- Hill Tribe Aid and Education
AID - EDUCATE - EMPOWER