On June 16th, Refugee Artisan Initiative celebrated its Grand Opening with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to honor the new Maker Space + Cultural Center. Festivities followed with a Community Open House and an evening Reception & Fundraiser.
Video credit: Catalyst Presents
RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
City of Seattle Mayor, Bruce Harrell shared his special connection to sewing and how investing in our refugee & immigrant community is paramount | King County Councilmember, Rod Dembowski described the synergy that supported RAI's mission | RAI Artisan, Baseerah shared her beautiful story of coming to the US and finding RAI |
To hear their full stories watch the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 16, 2022. WATCH NOW
Photo credits: Matt Rommel Photography
COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE
The public was treated to building tours, maker space demonstrations and a chance to shop from the RAI Artisan store. WA Representative Javier Valdez stopped by, as well as many of our wonderful community members. Thank you for coming and supporting RAI!
Photo credits: Matt Rommel Photography, Bharathi Jagadeesh, Jenny Ho
RECEPTION & FUNDRAISER
What a night! RAI Artisans, Tracy and Baseerah shared their beautiful stories as well as the touching journey of long-time Artisan, Siu. We enjoyed live music from a brilliant quartet and delicious, global cuisine from local restaurants in our Lake City community. A big thanks for raising the paddle to help keep our doors open as a safe space for the refugee and immigrant artisan community. A special thank you to our emcee, Seattle News icon Lori Matsukawa.
Photo credits: Matt Rommel Photography
ARTISAN FASHION SHOW
Guests were treated to a fashion show featuring Artisans Farida, Julie and Sandar's beautiful clothing lines plus RAI label scrubs and accessories. It was a first look at the many design and sewing talents of RAI Artisans. Packed with vibrant colors, incredible designs and lots of fun -- you could not help but cheer and smile as the positive energy filled the entire room. It was topped with special guest appearances by our furry friends and their matching outfits. Thanks for making our fashion show a success!
RAI is guided by 4 Pillars: Equity, Community, Training, Sustainability. Together, we center community-driven innovation where creative synergy unlocks limitless possibilities and connective experiences for our Artisans and beyond. RAI invests in Artisans and provides training to leverage their sewing skills to make a living wage and gain financial independence. RAI's Artisan-made products and collaborations demonstrates environmental justice and sustainable futures for all.
Now That We're Open.... We need your support to reach our goals!
WHAT WILL RAI'S MAKER SPACE + CULTURAL CENTER AIM TO DO?
* Train 100 refugee & immigrant Artisans * Host community and arts events * Create oral history artifacts for each Artisan * Earn certifications for sustainable & ethical manufacturing
DONATE NOW to help us reach these critical milestones. Your impact will allow RAI to triple the amount of Artisans served. Please give.
RAISED YOUR PADDLE AT THE RECEPTION?
If you haven't yet submitted your Raise the Paddle gift, pleasecomplete your donation here.There are a few more we still need to receive. Thank you!
Interested in visiting us? Schedule an appointment by emailing ea@refugeesarts.org
For more information on how to partner, volunteer or if you know of someone interested in becoming an Artisan please email refugeesarts@gmail.com
