TOWF Awards First Ever Anniversary Grant to Andrea Kalin

The Tikkun Olam Women's Foundation of Greater Washington, dedicated to supporting programs focused on effecting social change for women and girls, has selected Andrea Kalin to be the recipient of their first ever Anniversary Grant in recognition of their five years of grant-making.

Here are the kind words from TOWF: "We are thrilled to honor Andrea Kalin and Spark Media. We wanted to award an organization that brings our vision of social change for women and girls to fruition. We cannot think of anyone more deserving the award. Kalin's body of work exemplifies our goals for the Anniversary Grant. She produces films that inform and inspire audiences to promote change that contributes to a healthier and stronger society."

Join Us For An Evening of Laughter!!

Events at the Gallery!

Allah Made Me Funny is screening tonight at the Pueblo Viejo International Art Gallery in Washington D.C. Director Andrea Kalin will be introducing the film and will lead a discussion afterward.

This landmark concert film follows three acclaimed comedians on stage and off as they lift the veil to reveal the humorous truth of what it's really like to be Muslim in America.

Mo Amer, Azhar Usman, and Preacher Moss poke fun at themselves, their communities, government, human nature and the tricky predicament of living in post-9/11 America.

Featuring music of rising indie scene artists, Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert is rollicking good fun and gives people of all cultural backgrounds an opportunity to laugh hard, drop their guard, and open their minds.

The screening is part of The Sound of Peace Art Show ("Palestinian, Israeli and U.S. Artists Painting Hope"), which includes the art of Shela Qamer, Huda Totonji, Liat Weiler, Arlene Cooper, and more...

We hope to see you there!

WHEN:
November 16. Reception at 6:30 pm and Screening at 7:00 pm

WHERE:
Pueblo Viejo International Art Gallery
3103 Mt. Pleasant St. NW (corner of Irving & Mt. Pleasant)
First Floor
Washington DC 20009
(202) 328-4480

PRICE:
Suggested donation of $5. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Parents Circle Family Forum. To learn more about their work, Click Here.

Soul of a People at ALA

SOUL OF A PEOPLE RETURNS TO ALA

Soul of a People: Writing America's Story made a return visit to this week's American Library Association Annual Conference, held this year in Washington DC.

Last year, ALA and Spark coordinated a NEH-funded Soul of a People library campaign that involved 29 libraries and nearly 150 events across the country. These host libraries held screenings of the film, along with discussion groups, panels and presentations from local scholars and authors, and exhibits connected with the Depression, New Deal and the Writers' Project. They also produced imaginative events such as recreated Hoovervilles and soup kitchens, old time live radio broadcasts, and more, giving each local community a chance to experience and understand their own history during this era.

We will be posting a round-up of activities and a video summary shortly. The video will also be available for library participants to download!

At ALA, Soul of a People's producer and director Andrea Kalin, Spark producer Nancy Camp and representatives from three of the host libraries were on hand to discuss the project and how it carried out at the local level. The librarians who participated were Henry Fortunato (Kansas City Public Library, Missouri), Jude Schanzer (East Meadow Public Library, New York) and Nora Quinlan (NOVA Southeastern Library, Florida). They shared their insights about the program, its challenges, and some of the creative ways the libraries used Soul of a People as a springboard for activities to reach diverse audiences at a local level.

Camp concluded with a brief outline of the work underway - a new youth-focused online educational initiative, being developed now with a grant from the NEH.