STORYMOJA

Wanted: Kenyan Artists to address the theme: “Unity through Diversity: A Kenyan Perspective.”

The United States celebrates its many cultures – native and immigrant – throughout the year.  On January 20, America highlights this diversity in a unique way with the inauguration of our first bi-racial president on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  A week later we mark February as Black History Month, and in March we will celebrate Women’s History Month.  Besides the contenders from many backgrounds in the presidential primaries and elections, Americans elected people from all religions, races and ethnic groups, including the first Vietnamese-American congressman, to national office.  And President-elect Obama is drawing on the widest possible range of Americans to fill his Cabinet.

Kenya, too, is a richly diverse society.  And to celebrate our mutual respect for diversity, we invite Kenyan artists to celebrate with us “Unity through Diversity” by submitting representations on the theme in any of the following artistic genres:

·    Song
·    Poetry
·    Visual Arts (painting, photography, collage, sculpture, etc)
·    Dance

One winner in each performing arts category will be invited to present his/her/their piece at the various programs from January through March in celebration of Black History and Women’s History Month.  Winning pieces in the visual arts category will be displayed at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence and/or the U.S. Embassy as well as during programming from January through March.

Criteria:

·    Submissions must address the theme “Unity through Diversity: A Kenyan Perspective”
·    Submissions should not be centered on President-elect Obama
·    Submissions may be submitted by an individual or a group, but all participants must be identified.
·    Submissions must include the artist’s name, physical address, landline and mobile phone numbers, and e-mail address, as applicable.
·    Performing arts submissions should be submitted on CD or DVD.

Deadline:  Artwork must be submitted to the U.S. Embassy no later than Monday, January 12, 2009.

How to Submit Artwork/Performances:

·    Drop off artwork or performance pieces at the U.S. Embassy on United Nations Ave in Gigiri. Be sure to put your submission in a sealed package and address it to the attention of Ellen Bienstock, Cultural Attaché.

OR

·    Send artwork or performance pieces to:
Embassy of the United States
ATTN: Ellen Bienstock, Cultural Attaché
P.O. Box 606
Village Market 00621
Nairobi, Kenya

*Artists should be prepared to have their performances filmed and used by the U.S. Embassy for programming without remuneration to the artists; however, all artists will be given credit for their work.  The Embassy will be unable to return artwork that is not used for programming.