2021 Grants
Peace and Creative Connection Through Arts (Huehuetenango): This project, led by Rachel McLaughlin of Mountainside Arts (Arts School), will bring children and teens from Charlottesville’s new Friendship City, Huehuetenango, together with Charlottesville youth through portraiture and creative expression. Participating youth will create portraits of each other that will be shared in an all-virtual format until the finished portraits are mailed and distributed.
Pen & Paper Makes ‘Sisters’ Write (Winneba): Libby Edwards-Allbaugh is partnering with the mentoring committee of the 100BWCMA to facilitate a letter-writing exchange between young African-American girls in Charlottesville and young African girls in Winneba. This pen-pal project is envisioned to become an ongoing part of the 100BWCMA mentoring program for girls in the Charlottesville area. The ultimate goal is to prepare some of the participants to visit Ghana on a potential 2022 or 2023 Sister City trip to Winneba.
Huehuetenango & Ixtatán Internet & Introductions (Huehuetenango): The Ixtatán Foundation (Elías Alonzo, Director of Development) is leading a project to provide a set of tools to better connect Charlottesville with its new Friendship City, Huehuetenango. The Ixtatán Foundation will establish stable internet connectivity for cultural, economic, and civic purposes. Working with Code for Cville, the project will provide a website for Huehuetenango with a Spanish back end and front end to allow local businesses and nonprofits to create business listings and advertise their services.
Face to Face: Portraits of our Sister Cities (Besançon, Huehuetenango, Poggio a Caiano, Winneba): The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative (Alan Goffinski) in partnership with Speak! Language Center (Christina Ball) will lead a portrait project to connect talented local 2D artists working in varied mediums with residents of all four sister cities with the purpose of making connections through the very personal nature of portrait-making. For four years, The Bridge has used its Face to Face portrait program to connect artists and community members one-on-one, resulting in an ever-growing collection of portraits showcasing a diverse and vibrant Charlottesville through the eyes of its artists. Cities will each be invited to select two participants to be paired with expert Charlottesville artists chosen from a pool of applicants by a selection committee.