http://store.artistsforhope.org

Our Blog Has Moved

Our blog has now moved! To make things simpler (and better!) for everyone ~ our blog is now located at our website address.

Now you can go to our new website to see the wonderful things we have for sale to help children and families in Haiti AND you can read blog posts and lots of information about everything that is going on with Artists For Hope. See you there!

New Artist Coming Soon

I wanted to give you all a sneak peak of an amazing new artist that is using her talents to bring hope to children in Haiti. This piece will be for sale soon (don't you just LOVE it???), along with some other wonderful donations from artist Pamela Spiro Wagner. It's always such an honor when new artists contact us!

Website and Exciting Things To Come

Did you know that we currently have things for sale from our Art Co-op in Haiti on our website?

Very very soon we will have more things available and we will be integrating this blog into our website so that there will only be one place for everyone to stop in and see what is going on AND what is for sale to help kids and families in Haiti.

We were thrilled to have a huge order of bracelets that will be sold to help women in Haiti in honor of an exciting theater production in Minnesota coming up soon. We will have more info coming up about that and some new artists soon too!

Dissecting Duvalier's Return

We are in the process of getting things photographed and ready to list. Until then, here is a link to one of my favorite blogs. While we were in Haiti, former Haitian Dictator Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier very unexpectedly returned to Haiti. This surprised everyone and we weren't sure if we should be concerned or scared of what! There was a lot of speculation as to why he chose to come back and this blog does a great job of going over these possibilites. So, while you are waiting to see amazing new things listed from Haiti...check it out.

From Oil Lamps to Battery Kits

This sweet girl is Claudette. She was living at the Rescue Center getting dressing changes while we were in Haiti last week.

She was lighting an oil lamp when her clothes started on fire. Her mother is bedridden and told her to quickly run next door, but as we all know fire and running don't go well together. By the time she reached her neighbors and they helped to put out the fire, she had burned the entire front of her little body. These burns are not uncommon in Haiti. I just read about this new Battery Kit project starting that will give Haitians an alternative to using oil lamps. Kind of an interesting idea.

(*This photo was taken when Claudette was thankfully
on Morphine and able to smile for a bit.)

Home From Haiti

We are back from Haiti and it was such an incredible week! I will have a lot more coming up here, including some wonderful things for sale, but for now here are a few pictures from our week. We taught classes on jewelry making, made gorgeous pendants from coconuts, sewed adorable chickens and donkeys, filled a huge order of recycled plastic bracelets for a theater company in Minnesota, worked with people in the community, and loved on some of the cutest kids ever. More to come soon...

Why I can't wait to be back

There are SO many reasons I can't wait to be back. The beauty of Haiti, the strength and joy of the people, and the amazing children at the Rescue Center are just a few. We will be working with artisans throughout the week and teaching new classes, which means we will have some exciting new things available soon! Have a wonderful week and here are some pictures that show what I love about Haiti.

Artist Suzanne Carter

We are so thrilled to have Suzanne Carter as one of our new artists! I love when lives intertwine from different parts of the world for one reason. To help some beautiful kids in the mountains of Haiti have the food and care they need. Suzanne has offered to donate 50% of the proceeds from sales of her art from her website to help provide food and care for children at the Rescue Center in Haiti.

Suzanne Carter is a New Zealand Intercessory Worship Artist. She is a mixed media artist who uses primarily acrylic, but loves using texture and exploring new ideas and techniques. Suzanne is a member of the New Zealand Art Guild and has exhibited her work all over New Zealand. We are so excited that she is doing so much to help.

Thank you Suzanne for your generosity and for sharing about Artists For Hope in New Zealand and around the world through your art!

Visit Suzanne's website to learn more about her and view her work for sale to feed kids in Haiti. To purchase her work in the states, you can also buy prints from Red Bubble.

Artist Dori Settles

Funky Dori and daughter, Funky Erin work with fabrics and glass to create one of a kind accessories you just have to have!

Like so many other Lampworkers, Dori fell in love with the flow of the glass and the challenge of either making it do what she wants, or better put, giving in to what the glass wants to do.

Artist Dori Settles not only donated some amazing jewelry to Artists For Hope, but she also came to our Open House and made herself available to speak with shoppers about her work and see firsthand what Artists For Hope is all about. We loved spending time with her and everyone loved her jewlery! We will be listing some of her donations on our website very soon. Be sure To check out her website and her ETSY site to see more of her work.

New RHFH Blog

Have you seen the new Real Hope For Haiti website? If not....go check it out right now. Seriously. It's great~ and you can see why we love these kids and the people who run the Rescue Center and Clinic SO much. They poor their hearts and souls into helping people in their community and it's an honor to use creativity and art
to be a small part of everything they do.

We are counting the days to when we return to Cazale to love on kids and work with more people in Cazale!
Buy art. Feed kids.

It Won't Be Long

In just a few short weeks I will be back in the place where a piece of my heart always is. I'm SO excited to have the opportunity to return to Haiti to work with more artisans, teach some classes, and work on some exciting new things. Of course the added bonus to all this is spending time with the children in the Rescue Center. Little Darlens (pictured above) came very close to death a few weeks ago. He caught a really bad bug during the Cholera outbreak and truly by a miracle his is OK today and as adorable as ever. I can't wait to kiss his cheeks and spend a week in this wonderful place. We will be returning with lots of great new items to help make a difference in the lives of Haitian people. I hope you are as excited as we are!

Strength and Beauty

Ever get tired doing your laundry? Does your laundry basket sometimes seem way too heavy to carry up and down those stairs?

This is the picture I have hanging in my laundry room.

This strong and beautiful Haitian woman has some incredible laundry carrying skills. I honestly think of her every time I wash my clothes. I tried a few times to carry my laundry basket on my head, but I didn't come close to the poise and elegance of this lady. I totally need a lesson during my next visit to Cazale. Amazing!!!

So Stinkin' Cute

Even babies love our baskets from Haiti! :)

Wish You Were Here

I wish everyone could have been here on Monday night for the first official Caribbean Christmas Open House for Haiti! It was a fun, bustling, inspirational night for everyone and we were thrilled with all the people that came out to support Artists For Hope, learn about the children and people we love so much in the mountains of Haiti, and purchase great artwork and handmade Haitian items that will make a difference in someone's life. Thank you to everyone who helped make this night a wonderful success! I will let the pictures show you just a little taste of what you missed and we hope to see you at the next one!