2024-584-E-Arts Commission-Franklin Street Arts Collective-Funding for FRANK Gallery's Youth Art Group outreach program

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Artist Description This project was started twelve years ago by FRANK member artist Nerys Levy. She is a painter and has worked on site all over the world. Her Polar/climate change art work has been exhibited by UNC Chapel Hill and in many North American museums. One of her Polar works was selected for UPROAR in August 2023. She also has work in many private collections both in Europe and in the USA. In 2012 together with volunteer Fran Hamer she recruited students for the Karen Youth Art Group from the then Karen Language School in Carrboro. Levy has extensive training in international refugee resettlement from her time working in London for the Commission For Racial Equality. She also has a doctorate in South Asian History from London University based on the sending area of Karen refugees. Lah Htoo Boh is a Karen refugee and former Youth Art Group member and through FRANK's efforts became a BFA student at UNC Greensboro in Fine Arts graduating from there two years ago. He currently works at Kidzu Children's Museum and teaches the Youth Art Group every Sunday morning at FRANK, He is now thirty years old, his delayed education caused by the deprivation of fourteen years living in a Thai refugee camp after his family's exodus from war torn Burma and also having to learn English after arriving in the USA at the age of fifteen. As a Karen and also as an artist of color he acts as role model for all the Group's students and is a very effective and adventurous teacher. Susan Finer is a FRANK member textile artist with considerable English as a second Language teaching experience. She also works with the Judea Reform Congregation's Refugee Resettlement Program in Durham. Shelly Hehenberger is a FRANK member artist and an MFA Graduate from Indiana University. She currently works in cold wax, found objects and color, and has a history of working with youths both at Boomerang Youth and in many mural programs both in the USA and Haiti. She recently joined the Group's teaching crew to work with our Boomerang transfer student who is on the spectrum and who responds well to her and to her efforts teaching him digital art. Shelly teaches Photoshop classes at the Carrboro ArtsCenter. Sheemoo Tatataw is a Karen artist, one of our Youth Arts Group members and a rising senior at UNC Chapel Hill where she is a BFA student in Studio Art. She was born in a Thai refugee camp where she spent eight years and has been with our Group for seven years. During COVID and the necessity for the Group to meet outside she was encouraged to become a plein air painter an experience which not only made her into an excellent portrait painter but also solidified her resolve to pursue a fine arts degree. She currently volunteers on behalf of FRANK at Kidzu's weekly Family Refugee W orkshop and we hope to pay her a stipend during the coming year. Are you hiring multicultural artists with the requested funds from this grant? Yes For each multicultural artist you intend to hire, please list their name, race, and how much you plan to pay them. Lah Htoo Boh, Asian, Karen refugee from Burma. W e plan on paying him $50.00 a session Total amount for the granting year $2700 Sheemoo Tatataw. Asian, Karen refugee, BFA Student at UNC Chapel Hill- artist teacher representing FRANK's Youth Art Group weekly at Kidzu Children's Museum Refugee Family workshop at $12 an hour Total amount for the granting year $3840 the cost would be split 50% with Kidzu and FRANK if we are successful in receiving the Grass Roots Grant. Docusign Envelope ID: CBE41939-719A-4696-9DEF-A5A8E3BD2E8B