Support Open Heart Studios Flood Relief

Xolani Sivunda of Cape Town, South Africa and Michele Knecht of Atascadero, California met through an international Mosaic group on Facebook. Their mutual passion for art, and desire to be of service in the world has led to the creation of Open HeART Studio, a Community Art Center in Mfuleni Cape Town, South Africa. We are serving a community hit hard by poverty and the pandemic.

Xolani is a multi talented artist working in acrylics, mosaic and beadwork. He is a community activist who had a dream of creating a space where art is a vehicle of empowerment, joy and hope. Through art, he worked to teach skills to enhance economic opportunity, keep youth out of drugs and street crime, showcase up and coming artists and cultivate creative energy in his community.

Michele is a retired Personal Chef, now making mosaic art in her little garden studio. Her work is represented by several California galleries.

In spring of 2020, in the upheaval of the pandemic, these friends who video chat and text, started working together to bring their shared vision into reality. In just a few short months, with faith and a few donations, they have rented studio space, bought tools, a pottery wheel and a kiln and a car to transport our artists and their work to exhibitions. They plan to do much, much more!

 

Open Heart Studios

35 Noluthando Street

Mfuleni, Cape Town 7100

Phone +27 71 [phone redacted]

A South African Registered NPC

Enterprise Number: 2022/203045/08

 

Open Heart Studios is seeking donations to fund our programs and studio expenses. 

Your donation is tax deductible, and we are happy to email a receipt for donations. We are a 100 percent volunteer organization, no salaries are paid.

 

Our Board of Directors consists of:

Xolani Sivunda-Director, SA

Michele Knecht-Assistant Director-USA

Ayakha Babsie-Treasurer SA

Joy Astle-Secretary USA

 

Karla Duterloo SA-Creative Committee

Lisa Clegg USA-Marketing Committee

 

100% of your donation will help fund the following;

Art training programs for aspiring artists from the townships

Transportation costs for artists and work to exhibitions

Studio rent

Equipment such as tables, chairs, tools, easels

Art supplies

Pop Up Mobile Soup Kitchen to feed the hungry

 

We are also looking toward saving to buy 3 shipping containers for secure storage of artwork and equipment.

 

We have kilns and pottery making supplies, but we need a shipping container and cost of electrical wiring to open our pottery making program in our current location.

 

As things become more safe from Covid, we will once again add our children’s art programs.