Art To Make You Smile

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Ivet Nikolova is the living embodiment of a third culture kid turned citizen of the world. A Bulgarian born here in Beijing to diplomatic parents, she has been through the international school system, has studied and worked in multiple countries, and presented her artwork in exhibitions throughout China and abroad. She specializes in Chinese art, and over the last seven months she has been sharing her love of Chinese art with the Spouses of the Ambassadors to China.

The Art Group of the Spouses of the Ambassadors to China began meeting in 2017. This group of international women meets each week and, under Nikolova’s careful instruction, learns to paint in the traditional Chinese style.

The group’s current organizer, Sarah Almadi, told us: “We are very lucky to have these beautiful, talented, and kind-hearted ladies from different countries and different cultural backgrounds as our members. We would like to experience and explore the diversity of art and love.”

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But this group of highly accomplished ladies wasn’t satisfied with simply learning to paint and appreciate Chinese art. They wanted to use their artistic skills to give back to the Beijing community.

So, this Children’s Day, the group is putting on the “Smile With Me” event! Art Group members will hold an exhibition of their work at the Embassy of Bulgaria and will be auctioning off the pieces to benefit The Migrant Children’s Foundation.

The Migrant Children’s Foundation (MCF) was started by Helen Boyle 13 years ago when she came to Beijing on a one-year sabbatical to visit her daughter. With a background in engineering and education, she began spending her time helping at a migrant school here in Beijing. By the end of the year, she had helped to organize over 40 volunteers (although she prefers to call them friends) and resigned from her job back in the UK in order to run the foundation full-time. MCF is now a registered nonprofit and currently serves 12 schools here in China. MCF provides a myriad of services, including education and health screenings, and has acquired glasses for hundreds of children.

In addition to helping out a very worthy cause, those attending the “Smile with Me” event will be treated to an excellent Balkan buffet and free-flow wine. The event promises to be a wonderful chance to see how cross-cultural exchange is alive and well in Beijing, as well as an example of how it is possible to serve one’s community on a physical, intellectual and artistic level.

The event will be held Jun 1 from 5-7pm. To join in the fun, scan the QR code below.

Images: Helen Boyle and Maria Ivanova

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