Connecting cultures through an exchange of art supplies:
Please consider making a donation to Lynn Armel's initiative which will support both the Kenyan and Erie art community.
Lynn Armel is an Erie native who is looking to connect the artistic communities of Erie, PA and Machakos, Kenya. Lynn spent about a year in Kenya while doing her practicum for her MA in Sustainable International Development. She was a monitoring and evaluation intern for Jitegemee, a community-based organization that provides education and holistic support to street children and their families. While there, she met local artists, Doris Wairimu and Yawe Law. Doris and Yawe are working to bring opportunities for artistic expression to Jitegemee students and the Machakos community as a whole. They have a vision for a thriving arts culture in their small town, which is about the same size as Erie County.
Lynn is heading back to Kenya to spend Christmas with her fiance of 2 years. She would like to use this trip to connect two cultures through an exchange of art supplies. There are items from the US that could help the Machakos art community thrive and items from Kenya that could help the Erie art community as well. In Machakos, Doris and Yawe’s artist hub is in need of photography lighting equipment from the States. In Erie, there is a demand for traditional African fabrics among local artists.
Lynn would like to use her luggage and local and international connections to make this exchange possible. She would like to work with Erie Arts and Culture to raise $400 to cover the cost of art supplies for both communities. With a little effort and your support, this fairly small amount of money will truly go a long way.
The deadline to donate is December 10!
