Refugee Artisans Connect

About This Grant

Refugee Artisans Connect is a community arts project consisting of 10 free public workshops on upcycled crafts led by 38 refugee women artisans. The project also includes the creation of a 6-feet-long Peace Dove Sculpture, which will be designed and constructed by a lead artist and a team of artisans, and covered with 1,000 peace-message-feathers made by community members. The project will take place between December 2024 and October 2025 at the RAI Maker Space, and the completed Peace Dove Sculpture will debut in late 2025 at the grand opening of RAI's Arts + Cultural Center, an expansion of the Maker Space which is ready for renovation, and which will also serve as the first refugee arts and cultural center in the State of Washington. The primary purpose of our project is to increase public appreciation of the arts and cultural heritage of their refugee neighbors, while providing equitable and sustainable income for our artisans' unique talents and skill sets.