Worlds Away Gallery, of Washington, DC is sponsoring an innovative fundraising activity in support of assistance to Afghanistan with its Afghan Art Exhibition.  Their highly successful shows of Afghan art are the first of their kind in Washington in over 30 years.

Peter Ziebert, an attorney in Washington and founder/owner of Worlds Away Design, developed his passion for collecting treasures from around the globe after extensive worldwide travel focusing on artisan villages and handiwork centers, leading to tremendous success for his artistic endeavors.

"Indeed, the show is receiving much attention. We were delighted that National Geographic magazine profiled the show for a documentary airing on their cable channel.  The art show was especially memorable since one of the paintings displayed was a portraiture of the famous Afghan Girl who graced the cover of National Geographic over 15 years ago.  That the magazine found the girl recently while our show was on display was a development of special good fortune!", Mr. Ziebert explained.

The goals of Mr. Ziebert’s Afghan Art Show are three-fold: to raise funds to support relief and rehabilitation activities in Afghanistan; to reward the Afghan artists for their stimulating works; and to encourage new artists to express their creativity.

In an effort to make a maximum contribution to the important rehabilitation efforts in Afghanistan, the Afghan Art Show is donating 50 percent of all proceeds to Mercy Corps to support their activities in building schools and offering other children’s assistance.  The other 50 percent will be paid to the artist, with the Gallery hosting the show and the event’s sponsors volunteering their time and services.  The Afghan professional groups co-sponsoring the show with Worlds Away include the American Society of Afghan Professionals (www.afghanprofessionals.org), Humanity in Crisis (www.humanityincrisis.org), and the Society of Afghan Professionals (www.sapweb.org).  Each of these groups has an established relationship with Mercy Corps and the money will directly benefit the Corp’s important mission.  To date, Worlds Away has raised thousands of dollars from the Art Show, which will be donated to Mercy Corps.

In relation to the CIDI’s mission, when asked how Worlds Away decided to support the rehabilitation efforts in Afghanistan with a creative fundraiser, rather than the collections of food and clothing that so many other groups become involved in, Mr. Ziebert gave an eloquent and wise response.  The art and handicrafts are priced to sell, and we are hoping Saturday’s closing reception will be as successful as the opening reception was two weeks ago.   Even selling a $100 textile is significant and a joyous moment for the event sponsors, as the $50 generated from that sale will go a long way in Kabul and elsewhere in improving conditions for many.

The CIDI applauds the work of Worlds Away Gallery for their insight and participation in providing humanitarian assistance in creative and constructive ways.

For more information about Worlds Away and their Afghan Art Show, please visit www.worldsawaydesign.com.

For information regarding Mercy Corps and it’s programs, please visit www.mercycorps.org.