Empowered Women International

Alexandria, Virginia

Mission

EWI provides a network of support and creates opportunities for immigrant and refugee women and families in the northern Virginia and metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, using the arts as tools of empowerment, communication, cultural understanding, and entrepreneurship.

Training for Success—An Artist Entrepreneurship Program

Building sustainable livelihoods through the arts by providing opportunities for immigrant and refugee women to become part of an artists' network and participate in business incubator training modules that focus on developing practical skills.

Community Context  A global capital, Greater Washington, DC is home to one million immigrants and foreign-born residents from all over the world. The immigrant population has been increasing rapidly since the 1990s. Salvadorans are a major enclave due to political asylum offered by the U.S. during El Salvador's civil wars of the 1980s. Other significant groups include Koreans, Indians, Vietnamese, Mexicans, Chinese, Filipinos, Peruvians, Guatemalans, Bolivians, and Brits (Census 2000). Adding to the list of foreign-born are the personnel and families of international embassies, lobbyists, NGOs, contractors, and others who relocate to do business with the federal government. Washington has one of the largest African immigrant populations of any city in the United States. Immigrants are attracted to a diverse economy with opportunities in high-tech and health care, as well as construction and the service sector.

Training for Success—An Artist Entrepreneurship Program

Building Sustainable Livelihoods Through the Arts   Imagine a world in which America’s creative human capital, international cultures, and talent are recognized as the greatest assets of our global nation. Imagine a community of women entrepreneurs who can tell success stories, empower their children, and change the world by engaging their unique skills and ideas in new concepts for human and community development. Imagine new Americans who can make a positive and personal contribution to their community and country, realize their personal worth, and build a foundation of hope for new generations. Imagine the potential to alleviate the conflict and misunderstanding of America’s immigration challenges by investing in new models and ideas that have been proven to work. Imagine investing in the power of entrepreneurship, and the principles of American democracy that Empowered Women International promotes and stands for.

Marga Fripp, Founding President of Empowered Women International (EWI), was a journalist and women’s rights activist in her home country of Romania. Upon arriving to Greater Washington, DC in the aftermath of September 11, Marga found America facing a lot of prejudice against immigrants. She always thought of United States as a country founded by settlers, the first immigrants to America, and governed by principles of democracy that acknowledged and embraced the will of ALL people of America, regardless of their origins.

Yet, the reality she found post 9/11 was somewhat skewed. The public began to fear the immigrants, especially Muslim and Arabic people, and consequently jobs and opportunities were limited for newcomers. Marga herself struggled to find a job in her first year in America. She was determined to have a voice in America and demonstrate that many immigrants who come to the United States bring incredible creative capital to the country, are highly entrepreneurial and talented, and that their contributions have a lasting positive impact on our culture, market, and society as a whole.

While taking English courses at a local community college, Marga discovered a group of isolated yet talented and educated immigrant women who had very few venues where they could meet with other like-minded women, and limited knowledge in translating previous careers in their native countries into success in the American context. Marga interviewed many of these women and learned about their inspiring life stories and experiences, and the creative skills they brought with them to the United States. She realized that many of them needed an outlet for self-expression, communication, resources, and support. To address this need, in 2002 Marga created Empowered Women International (EWI) as a network of support and cultural exchange for immigrant women.

Initially, EWI started offering a series of empowerment workshops, which assisted immigrant women in assessing their skills, and creating life and career plans. These workshops provided an opportunity for women to meet and share their stories. They also helped women reconnect to the dreams and aspirations they had brought with them to the United States, but had forgotten due to the stresses of acculturation.

Some critical observations were made during these workshops. First, Marga discovered that the women exhibited strong entrepreneurial instincts as they discussed how they might build careers in the U.S. Secondly, many of the women found that art and creative expression was an important means to self-awareness and empowerment. And thirdly, the unique perspectives that came from art, whether rooted in traditional culture or Western traditions, demonstrated market potential. Programmatically, there was a need to create continuity among these assets and to train participants in concrete steps to achieve their goals in an art-based business. Based on this need, the organization re-created itself. The program gradually developed from empowerment workshops to the creation of an artist network and business incubator.

To build this budding creative community and showcase its talent, a rent-subsidized space was provided by EWI supporters in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, where women could meet, hang artwork, tell their stories, and hold receptions and performing arts events. This multicultural arts space brought together the families and friends of the artists, as well as the general public. Much to the women’s surprise, people started to inquire about purchasing the artwork. This opened the door for many to see themselves as artists, and to envision the possibility of earning an income from their work. It was at that moment that it became clear that a small business training created specifically for these immigrant artists was necessary.

In 2004, with constant collaboration between artists, community volunteers, and EWI staff, the Training for Success (TFS) program was formalized. The curriculum is designed in 12 entrepreneurial workshop modules over three months, including three externships that allow participants to visit art-based businesses and discuss marketing strategies with successful entrepreneurs and other arts professionals. Training modules focus on marketing, writing a small business development plan, financial matters, and skills specific to art business such as portfolio development, digital photography, and copyright law. A graduation exhibition serves as the capstone for the training program, to provide public recognition of the artists’ work that validates their achievements.

Training for Success is held twice a year with a class of 15-20 emerging artists per session. The current program fee for TFS is $300 per student, thanks to generous support from the Giving Circle of Hope. EWI has a policy to waive the fee as a form of scholarship for low-income immigrant students. Each artist graduates with a professional portfolio, an artist business plan, a group exhibition in her resume, and a list of resources and personal referrals to break into the arts market.

Success Stories and Outcomes The TFS program has given artists the skills and confidence necessary to reach their personal and professional goals. Many TFS graduates have gone on to hold solo and group exhibitions, as well as sell their work in galleries throughout the Greater DC Metropolitan Area. At the same time, EWI services generate a positive multiplier effect on local economic and civic life, as EWI clients increase their participation as citizens, activists, educators, and entrepreneurs in their community.

Graduates from the first TFS program in 2004, Meseret Desta and Mekbib Gebertsadik, came to the United States from Ethiopia in 2001. When they began the program their English was limited, and their knowledge of the art business was non-existent. Although their paintings were very popular in Ethiopia and their names recognized in major art galleries there, in the United States they were unknown.

Assisted by EWI mentors and volunteer staff, Mekbib and Meseret pursued English classes and now speak fluently. They gained business skills and learned to market their work professionally. They exhibited extensively throughout the DC Metropolitan area. But most importantly, Mekbib and Meseret found their unique way to have a voice in America. By creating and showing their art, they built a network of friends and supporters, and found a way to participate in society and give back to their communities.

Painter Fatana Baktash Arifi came to the United States seven years ago as a refugee from Afghanistan, fleeing persecution from the Taliban. Having completed graduate studies in fine art, Fatana was a respected teacher and portraiture artist to the royal family in her home country. She found EWI through an Internet search and joined the TFS program in the spring of 2007. To Fatana, the training was the first step in finding her way to become a successful artist here in the United States. She enjoyed the cooperative group work, multicultural perspectives, and discussions amongst her artist peers. Fatana says about this program that, “it moves me to make success, and gave me the courage to see myself as an artist in this community.” Since her graduation, EWI has helped to bring public recognition to Fatana’s work through a feature in the Washington Post and an interview on Voice of America .

Challenges and Lessons Learned TFS developed organically, which offered both strength and challenges to programmatic growth. The loose structure allowed the program to best fit the needs of participants during each stage of development, allowing the services provided to fill a specific and unique niche in the community. However, due to this fluidity, tracking systems were not put in place to assist in fundraising and documenting the outcomes of the program. In addition, a large part of the project focuses on building relationships, which are very difficult to quantify. Both of these factors, along with the current political climate surrounding immigration, make it very difficult to secure substantial financial support. The lack of financial support also leads to limited staff and resources necessary to reach more immigrant and refugee artists in the Greater Washington, DC area.

Looking Ahead In 2006, EWI recognized that a retail space would make an ideal training ground for artists to further develop their marketing skills and tell the stories of these talented new Americans. The organization opened A Woman’s Story Gallery in Old Town Alexandria, one of the city’s prime retail areas. However, with huge overhead and without proper staffing it did not make sense to continue this aspect of the training program beyond 2007. Therefore, EWI is looking ahead for ways to collaborate with area galleries and gift stores to give the artists consignment opportunities to test their product and marketing strategies in a supportive, low-risk environment.

To continue its work, EWI relies primarily on volunteers and local partner organizations. President Marga Fripp works pro-bono to run the programmatic and fundraising efforts. Artist graduates and volunteers assist with program management, marketing, and outreach. For 2008, EWI has developed partnerships with the Art League in Alexandria to provide classroom space and the City of Alexandria Lee Center community facility to exhibit and promote the work of the artists and present a public face of Empowered Women International.

Submitted by

Leyla Strotkamp, Managing Consultant, 2007

Beth Haskovec, EWI Artist Services Consultant, 2007

Marga Fripp, EWI President

Learn more

More Information about EWI's programs, services and exhibits are available at www.ewint.org .

Contact

Marga C. Fripp

Empowered Women International

1307 King St.

Alexandria, VA 22317

P: 301-693-1346

Email: cfripp (at) aol.com

www.ewint.org

Photos, top to bottom

Empowering Women International Spring 2007 Artists’ Graduation

Fatana Arifi, Handasism

Photos courtesy of Empowered Women International

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