Thanks to all our supporters!
The January 21 fundraiser was an outstanding success. We give heartfelt thanks to Rohina Malik whose performance of “Unveiled” at St. Scholastica’s Auditorium inspired a large crowd to reach out to their Muslim compatriots.
We also thank you, our supporters, who are enabling Hala to receive a fine education at DePaul. Thanks especially to our patrons–Anya Cordell, winner of the 2010 Spirit of Anne Frank Award (see http://www.anyacordell.com/, Anna Boekstegen,
Kaye Furey, Rev. Carl & Margaret Hatfield, F. Heidi & Erika Musser, Barbara Steinbeigle & Eugene Miller, and an anonymous patron
Look for news soon about our Spring Kayak and Biking fundraisers.
Thursday, January 26th, 2012, by roriegle, Filed under: upcoming| | Comments off
ART BUILDS BRIDGES TO BAGHDAD
East meets west in this beautiful collection of ceramic sculptures executed in the ancient coil method and then fired. Some are left unglazed and have a primitive feel while others are glazed in rich greens and blacks. All are the work of Zainab, an Iraqi widow and single parent to two talented sons.
Zainab is an ISP mother with a son studying at Grinnell College. [i] They were reunited during July and August of 2010 when she came to Chicago on a tourist visa. On this visit, Zainab and her younger son Ahmed were hosted by Bud and Margaret Sents, members of the ISP DePaul Core Committee.
A professor of fine arts at Baghdad University, Zainab knows firsthand that Iraqi universities have been “severely degraded” since the invasion. A renowned ceramist in Iraq, she’s been unable to get the materials with which to create in terra cotta and stoneware clay. Fortunately, the Sents are also ceramists and have a small clay studio in their home. In Illinois, Zainab was able to work again and to craft several fine pieces, which are displayed below.
She has left these sculptures in the care of the DePaul ISP support group, donating them to ISP in hopes that they can be used to raise awareness of the program which has served her son and other talented students from Iraq. All proceeds from the sale of these beautiful pieces will go directly to the Iraqi Student Project.
The sculptures, all table size (12” to 22”) and suitable for summer outdoor use, are figurative yet abstract. They successfully blend ancient motifs with modern influences and truly bridge Middle Eastern and Western cultures. See samples below and contact Margaret Sents at quieromom@aol.com to view them in person. In addition, ISP DePaul is actively seeing venues for display and will gratefully entertain requests from colleges, libraries or galleries. Call Margaret at 847-657-6807 for details.
[i] Last name omitted for security reasons.
