This summer I found out about an interesting collaboration that connects Ann Arbor artists with a group in Yokohama, Japan that is raising money for victims of the Japanese earthquake, and was able to donate a painting as part of their fund-raising effort.
When the International Arts and Crafts Promotion iacp.jp organization in Tokyo wanted to meet people in the Ann Arbor area and explore new ideas for collaboration, they contacted Kenji Yano and Mary Christianson of Sunrizing.com. The team partners with the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AAACVB) to help promote Washtenaw County to Japanese language visitors, and worked quickly to organize an informal gathering of artists and organizations at Metal LLC. One of the happy outcomes of the event was the donation of artworks by several area artists to raise funds for earthquake relief. Under the direction of Shary Brown, with Global Artists Exchange, the works are being shipped for display at the Yokohama Open Air Art Fairs taking place in Fall 2011.
I was happy to be able to donate the watercolor at left, which was painted on the porch of a family cottage in Canada.
