Hey GAPper's!!

Spring is here, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming and GAP has it's first event of the year underway.  A new "twist" on things - on Tuesday, May 4th, Drink! in downtown Myrtle Beach (5-Points) will host (drumroll please.......................)

“Taste of 5-Points Art & Music Springtacular!”

(da da da DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)

The event will begin at 6:00pm and be filled with local music, art (of course!) and light hors d'oeuvres.  Angie Capone, The Paul Grimshaw Band and Tanglespeak will perform.  A $10 suggested donation to come hang out wihth coolest cats in town.  Pick up a 2010 GAP Calendar at the event if you haven't gotten one yet!

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Creative Collaboration - Let it begin!

Global Awareness Project has been slowly defining itself, setting boundries and cultivating leadership from within for the last 2 years. It is an exciting time as we look to what will create a greater impact on service projects and organizations and how we can fuel them with the arts. We have recently rewarded two local artists with $1,000 grants to work alongside a service project to help give them High Impact Visibility and Promotion. Read more about our Creative Collaboration Grants HERE.

GAP Board Member, Caitlin Beidler and founder of Redemption Art and Camp Hope is the recipient of one of the grants. Her grant sent her to Port Au Prince Haiti into the dangerous slums of Cite Soleil to assist non-profit organization, Help Tammy, Help Haiti paint a mural on a 20ft water tower. Read about Caitlins experience in here blog.



The other recipient of GAP's CC Grant was local photographer Paula Player. Paula has been a supporter of this program since discussions began over one year ago about how we can assist artists who have a heart for service. Paula has teamed up with Jenny Edwards, founder or Hearts Stories - a program that takes place in elementary school classrooms in North and South Carolina. Paula is helping Jenny to document the program through photography during the school year so Jenny can use the pictures to promote her program to other teachers and eventually more funding. Paula is also using her grant money to help Jenny with a new logo for her program.

Cultural Visions BACK! 2010 Calendar Launch!

Join us November 2nd & 3rd for our highly anticipated 'Synergy' Calendar Launch Art Show & VIP event at 2001 Nightclub.

November 2nd - VIP Event 6:00-9:00pm - Tickets $20

Order your tickets online HERE.

- Official Launch of GAP's 2010 Calendar

- Honoring GAP's Artists' and Non-Profit Partners

- Catered by Inlet Affairs & Cash Bar

- Cocktail hour from 6:00-7:00pm

- 7:00-9:00pm, Live Performances by Carolina Improv Company, Atlantic Stage, AAST Dance & Theatre Majors, SOS Ambassador for Youth, Abiding Village and E'clatez Dance Company

- Your ticket includes complimentary entry on November 3rd

November 3rd - 6-10pm - Donation - $10

Over 75 local artist will be showing and selling their work. Local restaurants cater the event, cash bar, live music and guest DJ from NYC, AAST Step Team & HipNotic Rhythm Belly Dance Troup

New Program for Artists

CrEAtivE CoLLaBoRaTiOn
grants for artists working on
sustainable service projects

"Creative sustainability is creative expression that recognizes, explores, and supports universal interdependency of all phenomena, be they animate or inanimate, internal or external." Britta Konau, Curator, Center For Maine Contemporary Art

Our Goals
· Educate artists about the impact they can have working with a service related organization or project, encouraging them to collaborate and design a project that will havelong-term effects on the organization and/or project.
· Educate non-profits about the potential of tapping an artist’s creative imagination and specifically outlining their particular goals and needs to design a project that will have long-term effects on the organization and/or project.
· Build lasting and meaningful relationships between the artist and the organizations.
· Build leadership and confidence with artists that their work and ideas are valued by designating a certain % of the loan to compensate them for their work.

High Fashion Diva Glam!

Non-Profit: Katies Project

Jewelry Artist: Kelly Mezzepelle

Photographer: Matt Silk

By Kelly Mezzepelle

I arrived at the photo shoot not knowing quite what to expect. I'd never been on a professional photography set before, and I'm sure my amateurity showed. The photographer, Matt Silk, bless his heart, was spending his Sunday evening dealing with an artsy-fartsy jewelry maker, a bunch of high school kids in prom dresses, and rain clouds against a setting sun. So there I was, trying to stay out of the way while the girls were in hair-and-makeup and Matt was setting up and moving around lights. As the girls came out one by one with their hair perfectly coifed, I draped them in the jewelry I had custom made for their Katie's Project dresses. They were so young, but not at all silly or giddy with the glamor of it all. Matt was very patient with them, and them with him was he changed their poses over and over again - turn your head this way, tilt your head that way, put your elbow here, now lets try it there... They were all just as patient with me as I ran in and out of the shots adjusting crooked hanging necklaces, bracelets showing their clasps, and earrings hiding behind wind-blown tresses. Matt would snap a few shots, then we'd retreat into the studio to view them on the computer. Then back to the set, make a few adjustments, shoot a few more and repeat, until we had it - the perfect shot! What an experience. Thanks Global Awareness Project for introducing me to Katie's Project and for giving me the opportunity to have had such an amazing experience.

By Matt Silk

Pro-Bono work has always been an important part of my business, and each year I try to give something back to my community by creating images that can be used for a good cause. Two years ago it was a campaign for Citizens Against Spouse Abuse (CASA), and last year, our Street Reach campaign helped gain awareness for the homeless in Myrtle Beach. So when I was asked to help create images for Katie’s Project last month by the founders of The Global Awareness Project, I was immediately aboard.

Founded In 2007 by Katie Rhoden, Katie’s Project is essentially a dress bank providing dresses and formal accessories to high school girls in need of a little help so they may have the opportunity to attend their prom. A simple principle that has gained much attention. However Katie’s Project is much more than just supplying a prom dress or tuxedo. “We are instilling in these students that they are important too. We hope the goodwill they are experiencing through this project will reinforce what they are learning about community service and the value of helping others. Our hope is to help increase their self worth and willingness to give back once they have the opportunity” explains executive director Kathy Foxworth.

The purpose of our shoot was to illustrate the strength, confidence, and sense of empowerment that is brought to the surface of these young women when given opportunities that might not otherwise exist for them. Accompanying the dresses are custom jewelry pieces created by Kelly Mezzapelle, all of which will be auctioned off at the next Katie’s Project gala. Details of the event can be found on their website.

Special thanks go to Sarah George and Melanie Cormier for organizing the entire photoshoot, our models: Courtnay Bourque, Kendall Seagroves, and Cassie Marrone, as well as our hair stylist Michael Williams from St. James Salon.

Take these broken wings...

Artist: Sybil Alfano - www.sybilalfano.com

Non-Profit: Rape Crisis Center - www.victimtosurvivor.org

Global Awareness Project's Board of Directors selected non-profits for their 2010 Calendar themed "Synergy". Local artists also applied and were selected to partner with the non-profit to create the art piece that will be highlighted in the calendar. GAP's board chose the theme "Synergy" to reflect the importance of collaboration and working together to create a better community.

I applied and was lucky enough to be chosen and paired with The Rape Crisis Center. To be completely honest, I wasn't sure where to start. Collaborating with such a serious organization was going to be very difficult, but I was ready to give it a go.

I met with Joyce Hart and some of the ladies at the center to discuss what the organization was all about and what they wanted to convey in the art piece. I found out that they not only help women that have survived sexual abuse, they also help men and children in similar situations, as well as people dealing with any other type of abuse, that need support and healing. They have a crisis hotline available 24/7 and provide the community with small groups to aid in recovery. The week that I met everyone, they were in the middle of planning a local awareness event. They are truly focused on getting victims the help they need as well as promoting prevention through outreach and community education.

After our first meeting, we schedule our second, so that I could come back and look through some old t-shirts that were designed at a previous RCC event. The event was held at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC and was a chance for survivors and family/friends of victims to tell their stories through words or artwork on t-shirts. They then hung the shirts from a line to show how many people are effected by sexual abuse.

I looked through at least 50 of these shirts and was taken back by almost all of them. Some were straight forward, "When you raped me, you broke my heart". Some were poetic and sad, "Giggles and laughter, braids and bows, she's so cute from head to toe, little did anyone know, she was being molested from the time she was one year old". One of the shirts stood out to me because it shown a light on such a terrible, unfortunate situation and inspired hope in healing. The front of the shirt said, " This was me, dead and barren, eternal winter" with a dead, leafless tree and storm clouds painted on it. The back was a bright and colorful tree with flowers and birds and said "Now, life lives here". I thought I could run with this idea and hopefully have a positive take on an otherwise negative subject.

While painting, the lyrics from the song "Blackbird," by The Beatles, "Take these broken wings and learn to fly," would not leave my mind, so I decided they needed to be included. All in all, I feel blessed to be involved with this project because GAP is doing great things to unite the community, spread culture and promote awareness of so many important issues.

Please stay tuned and become a fan of GAP on Facebook...there's much more to come! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Awareness-Project/127065687397?ref=ts

By: Sybil Alfano

This Place Matters

Artist: Lynn Cole Daly - www.lynncole.net

Non-Profit: Conway Main Street - www.conwaymainstreet.com

Conway Main Street was thrilled to be matched with a truly talented photographer, Lynn Cole Daly, as we were in the process of capturing an image to enter in a special contest promoted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation called, “This Place Matters.” This Place Matters is a web-based photo sharing campaign to empower Americans to weigh in on places they feel are architecturally or culturally significant. People nationwide are able to post stories and photos to the National Trust’s website that matter to them.

Lynn helped us marry our vision for This Place Matters Campaign and the Global Awareness Project calendar. Truth be told, we did question our original vision after the photo shoot was scheduled, but when the day of the shoot finally arrived and everything was in place it was obvious that Lynn’s vision had captured the message…no matter what your age, your color, your religion, your profession, your education, we all identify with historic places in our community and we all share a common battle cry-“This Place Matters!”

Our photo is the beloved building that once housed the Side-Wheeler Restaurant which was heavily damaged by fire this past spring. Located at Conway’s Riverwalk along the Waccamaw River, this historic building, constructed in the 1890’s, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The thought of losing this piece of history would be a huge loss to downtown Conway. Work was recently started to reconstruct the building preserving as much of the original building as possible. We are sure everyone would agree with us… This Place Matters!


Conway Main Street USA
Gail J. Alexander, Executive Director
Hillary Howard, Assistant Director