Announcement
A.I.E exhibition space at R.H. Mercantile
Photo: Milagros Cruz, IRC in NY
Donor Drive is an easy fundraising tool for the community to make their own fundraisers for IRC in New York & New Jersey. It is great for hosting fundraising events/initiatives such as bake sales, marathons, birthdays, and even art exhibitions! We are so thankful to those who, through this tool, inspire others to contribute to our cause of helping refugees and migrants rebuild their lives and feel welcomed.
This winter, Alex Ginella, a dedicated and multi-talented curator from Port Jervis, New York, launched his own donor drive campaign to host an art fundraiser in his town. His exhibition, Artists in Exile (AIE), ran from Saturday, February 15 through Saturday, March 15. It celebrated global refugee and migrant artists, bringing over 30 artists’ artworks into the beautiful space of RH Mercantile. The process from start to finish was collaborative and thoughtfully planned, as Alex curated from a selection of paintings, prints, and books for this special one-month exhibition.
Remarkably, 50 people attended the opening reception, demonstrating how supportive community members from Port Jervis are not only to the arts, but to IRC in NY’s cause.
For the closing reception, Milagros Cruz, our IRC in NY Volunteer Coordinator who has been with the IRC for 22 years, commuted to Port Jervis to represent IRC in NY and share updates about the needs and concerns of refugees, asylees, migrants, and how it has shaped our fundraising priorities.
Guests spoke with Milagros and Alex as they walked through and viewed the beautiful art that conveyed the artists’ unique perspectives on the challenges and hopes they face in their countries and/or their resettlement journey in the United States. We invite you to check out the below pictures of the event below:
Western Sahara artist Mohamed Moulud Yeslem, exhibited in A.I.E Exhibition
AIE Artwork
Viktoriia Slavinska's artworks exhibited in A.I.E Exhibition
Photo: Milagros Cruz, IRC in NY
The closing reception ended on a beautiful note, with a special screening of David Henry Gerson’s film, The Story Won’t Die.
Hear from Alex about his reflection on the event:
"I was inspired by the resilience of so many of the refugee and displaced artists around the world who continue to create, teach and share their experiences through their art. The support from members of our community who visited the exhibition, purchased artworks and shared how they were moved by the stories of these artists has been amazing. It has been great to see the generosity of those who have contributed to the campaign and support the work of the IRC"
This campaign raised over $3,600 for IRC in New York, helping us get one step closer to sustaining our work for our clients. The International Rescue Committee in New York is thankful to Alex for inviting us to his Donor Drive Fundraiser campaign, and we are proud of the important work he is doing in their community. These community fundraisers are making a meaningful impact on clients’ journey toward stability and a brighter future. If you are inspired by Alex and want to start your own donor drive fundraiser, click here for New York and here for New Jersey.
Art Prints & Books
Photo: Milagros Cruz, IRC in NY
Written by Development Manager, Malin Evertsz Mendez