I'm delighted to update you on the newest affiliate of our UNESCO/UNITWIN Network on Gender, Culture & Development: it's called Unbound Visual Arts (UVA), and is based in my now-home community of Brighton, Massachusetts. I'm on the Council of Advisors, and must say that I really admire the mix of events and partnerships generated in just one year of existence. UVA has become a venue for sharing some of our UNITWIN work: initially, an exhibit at the Harvard Allston Education Portal included photographs giving a glimpse of women's empowerment work in Burkina, and a recent exhibit at Boston City Hall curated by UVA Executive Director John Quatrale included six photographs plus a storyboard on women's progress in education and political voice in West Africa. This was a high-profile showcase for the two overarching priorities of UNESCO, Gender Equality and Priority Africa. The UVA group also branches out into such events as "Book Art" exhibits and a number of the members are engaged in issues of social justice.
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| City Councilor Mark Ciommo (left); Ruth Rieffanaugh (center), President and Founding Member of Unbound; and Nicole, a member of the community (right) |
It was thrilling to receive positive feedback from several continents, including from our university and NGO Network partners to the proposal that Unbound Visual Arts be affiliated with our Boston University-anchored UNESCO/UNITWIN Network on Gender, Culture, & Development.
Along with announcing that Unbound Visual Arts is our newest UNITWIN Network affiliate, I'm happy to share some related news: the UVA exhibition hosted at Boston City Hall drew substantial participation at the opening Reception and terrific feedback. We've thus been invited to make this a "traveling exhibition": the next venue is the Harvard University Education Portal for the first two to three months of this New Year!
Unbound Visual Arts, Inc. was founded in 2012 in Allston-Brighton to enliven and to stimulate the creative economy with contemporary visual art for all by exhibiting, educating and sharing. As it celebrates it's first anniversary, Unbound is now the fastest growing visual arts non-profit in Greater Boston with nearly 70 members and 25 quality themed exhibitions completed. Welcome to our UNITWIN, Unbound! Happy & Fruitful 2014 Everyone ---
Brenda
