Artist Stephanie Schlatter to Host Art Auction and Winetasting Nov. 18 for

Ethiopian Education

Press Release

(GRAND RAPIDS, MI) – October 2011 – The children of Ethiopia don’t get many breaks in life, but thanks to an artist thousands of miles away in West Michigan, many of them are getting an education.

Every year since 2007, Ada Artist Stephanie Schlatter has organized an art auction and winetasting event to raise funds supporting schools in Ethiopia. Stephanie is doing it again in 2011, bringing her fine art to auction and the fine wines of Black Star Farms of Leelanau County for tasting. In addition, there will be fabulous foods from Martha’s Vineyard of Grand Rapids, an interactive painting collectively painted by participants also available for auction the night of the event, and a silent auction. All proceeds will go to support Ethiopian education through the Tesfa Foundation and its creative arm, Art Aid for Tesfa. Music will be performed by the Badenya Drumming Ensemble. Tickets: $50 in advance or $55 at the door.

The event, to be held Friday, November 18, 2011, 7 to 10 p.m., at the Tooling Systems Group facilities at 555 Plymouth NE in Grand Rapids, will be Stephanie’s fifth. It precedes her yearly trip to Ethiopia in December, when she will visit the capital of Addis Ababa and several tribal schools. There, she will not only meet the students she helps support with these funds but she will provide art education. Stephanie also returns with works of art from the children which are often highlights of the yearly auction or become label art for the bottles during the wine tasting to help support their schools.

The November 18 event is a wonderful opportunity to hear Stephanie's heart-warming story and see through film a behind-the-scenes look at Ethiopia and its culture while meeting the amazing children who benefit from this enormous generosity. Come be part of something that really matters - come make a difference in thousands of lives with this singular act of caring. It’s also a great opportunity to see the works of this extraordinary local artist and do some holiday shopping that helps support the education of a growing third-world culture.