The Art of Community
Creativity at the Crossroads of Immigrant Cultures and Social Services
2006, 30 pages. Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, P.O. Box 1100, Sebastopol, CA, 95473, 707-824-4374, www.gcir.org
The Art of Community is a collaboration between Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees and The Institute for Cul-tural Partnerships, and features articles profiling several programs that funded arts programs designed to help smooth the resettle-ment process of immigrants and refugees. The ability to hold on to cultural traditions can be as important to new immigrants as secur-ing clothing, shelter and employment. Community arts organizations have the ability to foster immigrant and refugee traditions and assist in establishing communication between communities in a safe environment. For example, one of the arts organizations featured, The Nuestra Casa Family Resource Center, helps to preserve Mexican heritage and the Spanish language in Mendocino California, by pairing local artists and arts organizations with the new Latin American community.