Dear Friends:

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped with the School of Visual Arts "Benefit Sale" in support of Priene Hali rug workshop on November 30, hosted in partnership with Moon and Stars Project of The American Turkish Society. Eighty-six artists participated and nearly sixty works were sold. The remaining pieces will be presented at a similar benefit in Turkey in 2013. The proceeds will be used to buy wool and keep the studio running in winter.  Many thanks are in order to SVA faculty member Peter Hristoff for organizing the event; to SVA Fine Arts Department for hosting it; to "A La Turka" restaurant and Sole Grano for providing refreshments and snacks; to all the volunteers for their time and effort, and to the artists who donated artwork for the event.

Priene Hali traces its origins to a 2006 public-private partnership to provide women vocational training in the Turkish village of Güllübahçe. Under the leadership of Fatma Öztürk, the director of the studio, and with support from the Güllübahçe Municipality, the community has grown to include over 50 women who are practiced in traditional pile rug weaving. For more information, please click here.