Local artists, crafts teachers and art students are participating in a series of workshops being given throughout Rwanda through June 14 by the American artist Joan Aaronson. A textile artist, Ms. Aaronson created an appliqué quilt especially for Rwanda entitled Healing Angel, that is featured in Regrowth, Rebirth and Reconciliation-an exhibition at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, Margaret K. McMillion. The exhibition features American art in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, watercolor and textiles. “The themes of these art works relate well to some of the key issues of our work in Rwanda: promoting reconciliation, reintegration, return from abroad, and political openness,” Ambassador McMillion said.

The American works of art in the exhibition all conceptualize the ideas of Regrowth, Rebirth and Reconciliation. Metamorphosis, a figurative bronze sculpture by Barry Johnston, and Sustenance II, a watercolor painting by Helen Klebesadel, extend the idea of transformation in Rwandan society through cultural development, openness, and introspection. Healing Angel, an appliqué quilt sewn by Ms. Aaronson, offers comfort and reassurance, while Margaret Hluch’s Homeland, which features a river painted on silk, presents the universal dream of home and community. The Peace March, a contemporary folk painting by Sy Mohr, celebrates people marching for peace, while Helen Klebesadel’s Tree of Life is a watercolor painting that symbolizes hope for the future.

In conjunction with this exhibition, Joan Aaronson is conducting workshops to promote Rwandan textile artists. She is working in Kigali with the Amani Women’s Group in Gikondo, members of the Association of Rwandan Artists (AAPR), and other local crafts groups. She will also conduct a workshop on sewing and textile art for crafts teachers and local artists at the National Museum in Butare, and with art students at the National University of Rwanda.

Joan Aaronson worked as a technical illustrator for 15 years and is currently an adjunct art professor at Cape Cod Community College in Massachusetts.

The U.S. Embassy in Kigali is organizing the workshops as part of the U.S. Department of State’s “Art in Embassies Program.” The “Art in Embassies Program” aims to promote dialogue through the international language of art that leads to mutual respect and understanding between diverse cultures.