As a former creative arts therapist, I’ve long been impressed by the work of The ArtReach Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps repair communities torn by war, violence, and natural disasters through the expressive arts.

But beyond taking volunteer creative arts therapists into the field–from Bosnia to the Gulf Coast–to create healing experiences for people in need, ArtReach is also raising awareness about such communities by bringing the art from these places to audiences of people who may never be able to volunteer abroad.

ArtReach is currently sponsoring “Breaking the Veils: Women Artists from the Islamic World,” a collection of artwork by 51 female artists from more than 20 countries.

The exhibit opened at the Clinton Presidential Library in June and is currently touring the US. Breaking the Veils will be in Hattiesburg, Mississippi until December 5, and will make its 2009 debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

For more information about the touring exhibit, please visit Breaking the Veils.

Photo: See Wah (Flickr creative commons)

Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator who lives in New York and Mexico City. She is the managing editor of the Matador Network.