Craft Lake City is thrilled to announce the March installment of our New Americans Workshop Series in partnership with the International Rescue Committee: Collaged Paintings with Raida Jarjes! The craft workshops in the New Americans Series are taught by makers from around the globe who’ve made Utah their home due to humanitarian crises in their countries of origin. This series of six workshops, running from November 2022 through May 2023, is made possible with the support of the International Rescue Committee and funding from the Salt Lake Arts Council.
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Raida, an Iraqi artist, poet and community organizer, will be instructing a Collaged Painting Workshop at the Craft Lake City HQ from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. In this mixed media workshop participants will learn techniques for creating a colorful, abstract painted canvas to use as a textured background for exploring the collage medium. Participants will follow Raida’s step by step process for creating a fun mixed media piece utilizing a vast array of collage materials including stickers, magazines and more. All materials will be provided for this workshop, but Raida encourages attendees to bring keepsake photos or other mementos they’d like to incorporate into their collaged painting! During the instructional session, Raida will share stories about her cultural ties to this art form & details about her growth experiences as a maker.
When asked why she chose to teach this craft, Raida said, “This technique is easy and beautiful, and painting on canvas gives us a beautiful imagination. I think that the prize for any talent is to share it with others, so I like to show my talents to others and teach them to benefit [from them].” In addition to her work as an artist, Raida runs a community organization, The Leading Word Organization, dedicated to supporting other Iraqi refugees in the area. “I learned literature and art from my childhood and my business has turned into a humanitarian message.” Raida shares that her process for creating visual art and creating poetry are intrinsically linked, often taking inspiration from a painting for a new poem or vice versa. At the heart of all of Raida’s creative work is her mission to help others, “Every financial resource I get I [use to] help those who need me, from orphans, widows, displaced people and others.”
As part of this six-part series, Craft Lake City is offering three full scholarships to each workshop based on financial need. To browse our upcoming workshops and purchase tickets, visit https://craftlakecity.com/workshops/.
About Raida Jarjes:
I am a writer and artist from Iraq. 15 years ago, America became my home, and I was able to adapt to the place and society, and to live my life here, and my heart still beats. I write poetry and practice arts. I run a humanitarian and cultural organization based in Utah. I work to take care of human beings, both of my culture and my existence. On this day, I am almost alone in the art of wood burning, but I practice it on the cork and choose topics related to our heritage, the aim of which is to introduce others to our Arab civilization and heritage. I have been working with this art since I was 12 years old.
Instagram: @raida_jarjes
Facebook: Raida Jarjes
About the IRC:
The International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of people, forced to flee violence and persecution, are welcomed by the people of the United States into the safety and freedom of America. These individuals have survived against incredible odds. The IRC works with government bodies, civil society actors, and local volunteers to help them translate their past experiences into assets that are valuable to their new communities. In Salt Lake City and other offices across the country, the IRC helps them to rebuild their lives. Since opening its doors in 1994, the IRC in Salt Lake City has resettled nearly 12,000 refugees and provided life-changing services to thousands more in the Beehive State. Services include resettlement, education, health, advocacy, economic wellbeing, and more.
About Craft Lake City:
Founded in 2009 by Angela H. Brown, Executive Editor of SLUG (Salt Lake UnderGround) Magazine, Craft Lake City® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to educate, promote and inspire local artisans while elevating the creative culture of the Utah arts community through science, technology and art. Craft Lake City strives to further define the term “Craft,” by modernizing the definition for handmade creativity.
craftlakecity.com @craftlakecity
Craft Lake City’s year-round programming is supported in part by the residents of Salt Lake County through the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program, the Salt Lake Arts Council, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and Utah Arts & Museums, with funding from the State of Utah and the National Endowment for the Arts.