Blog - 06-2022 Archive

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Every June, Erie Arts and Culture honors the stories, voices, and talents of the refugees who live in our beautiful city of Erie, Pennsylvania. This month, we are highlighting some of the various artists who represent this amazing collective, while also providing our audience with the new and updated New American Owned Business Directory later this month.

Mustafa Albalkhi is an amazing professional Oud player who takes a strong delight in expressing the stories of his Syrian roots. With aspirations to teach others how to play the Oud, Mustafa loves performing for new, American audiences and meeting new people. In this interview, I had the pleasure of discussing his inspirations.

Interested in an Artist Fellowship? Learn more about becoming an artist fellow in our latest blog post. 

Erie Arts & Culture committed to making a greater investment in the artists living and working in Erie County by establishing the annual Artist Fellowship program. This program provides cash awards to three artists from Erie County. The Fellowship, which includes cash awards ranging between $2,000-$5,500, helps individual artists sustain or enhance their creative process and advance their career in the arts.

The application will be open from July 6 to August 29 at 11:30pm. Award recipients will be announced before November 30.

One virtual information session will be conducted over Zoom: Wednesday July 13th at 12pm

June 20th is World Refugee Day, an international celebration of the strength and resilience of those who have fled conflict and persecution.

Erie is home to thousands of former refugees, many of whom have become naturalized citizens. Former refugees are an important part of Erie’s economic engine and have helped stabilized population decline. Erie Arts & Culture is proud to publish an updated directory of small businesses owned by former refugees.

Thanks to grants from the Erie Community Foundation and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Menajerie Studios has created a short documentary about three of the many food markets owned by refugees that can be found within the City of Erie. Visiting one of these markets is a great way to experience a culture outside of your own.

In commemoration of Juneteenth, Erie Arts & Culture collaborated with Erie's Black Wall Street to develop a list of black-owned businesses operating in Erie!

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Every June, Erie Arts and Culture honors the stories, voices, and talents of the refugees who live in our beautiful city of Erie, Pennsylvania. This month, we are highlighting some of the various artists who represent this amazing collective, while also providing our audience with the new and updated New American Owned Business Directory later this month.

Padma Rai is the CEO of Gurung Fashion Design, Owner of Annapurna Kitchen, and a 2020 honoree of Erie's 40 Under 40 award. Her ability to bridge the gap between Bhutanese culture through Art, Fashion, and her involvement in the Bhutanese Kirat Rai Organization of America in Erie has instantiated her position in the city as someone who proudly represents the roots of culture. As an organizer for the Sakela festival, which took place June 11th in downtown Erie, Padma keeps herself immersed in the community by sharing her heritage and helping others find their way through the process of resettling in the United States

Erie Arts & Culture is proud to present this week's Friday Feature! Every June, Erie Arts and Culture honors the stories, voices, and talents of the refugees who live in our beautiful city of Erie, Pennsylvania. This month, we are highlighting some of the various artists who represent this amazing collective, while also providing our audience with the new and updated New American Owned Business Directory later this month.

Durim Loshaj has found an amazing outlet for his creative inspirations through painting, which has allowed him to express his ideas. I had the fantastic opportunity to speak with Durim regarding his upbringing and early start, and it allowed me to walk away with some beautiful insights.