JBFC & TGAS Art Exchange

They've never met. They're from different continents, different cultures, and different backgrounds. But 42 girls from Tulsa and Tanzania now have an extraordinary bond - weaved with vivid colors, intricate designs, and a surprising amount of similarities.

Five months ago, JBFC (Janada Batchelor Foundation for Children) launched a cross-continental art project with the Tulsa Girls Art School (TGAS). TGAS Executive Director Matt Moffett came up with the idea of doing an art exchange. Twenty-one of his Tulsa girls would be paired with 21 of our girls in Tanzania.

It all started with a blank piece of canvas. The Tulsa girls poured whatever was in their hearts, minds and imaginations onto that canvas, writing a note to their new friend on the back. Then those same canvases were brought to Tanzania. Our JBFC girls got a chance to meet their new friend, write notes back, and then pour their hearts, minds,

and imaginations into those same canvases. We swapped the pieces once more with each girl adding a layer. The pieces have now traveled more than 30,000 miles and will go on display at the African Circles Art Show at Tulsa's Circle Cinema, starting July 11 and continuing through September.

The Art Show will display the finished projects. But we wanted everyone to see how these projects developed. Each artist added a little something of herself to the piece, little by little. And it's amazing to see the pieces take shape and transform with each trip halfway across the world.

You get a sneak peak of the art show and the process that created it, right here. I will introduce you to the artists and show how their pieces developed over the last five months. Keep checking back, we'll preview two more pieces before the Art Show begins on July 11th.

Yori & Ana

Yori, Tulsa, is 15 years old and loves to listen to music, hang out with her friends, and work on art. Anna, Tanzania, is also 15 years old and she also likes to work on art, as well as read novels and play games.