The Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation (EFIAF) proudly announces a three-day celebration at Ashawagh Hall to honor the remarkable legacy of artist, writer and poet ELLEN FRANK. Centered on an exhibition of paintings and works on paper dating from the 1980s through early 2018, the event will commence with an opening reception on Friday, April 12th, at 5:00 pm, followed by a presentation of the Cities of Peace Kosovo Project on Saturday, April 13, at 2:00 pm. Speakers include: Christina Strassfield, Lee Skolnick, Luma Krasniqi and Luiza Thaqi (from Kosovo via video). On April 14 at 11:00 am will be a Reading of the Poetry of Ellen Frank by family and friends, including Maria Pessino, Gabriele Raacke, Teri Kennedy, Bill Chaleff, and Elena Prohaska. The exhibition will be on view Friday to Sunday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

An artist, scholar, and writer, Ellen Frank (1946-2021) was recognized with numerous awards in painting, book design, and scholarship including a Fulbright Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation Fellowship, Pollock Krasner Award in Painting, New York State Council on the Arts, and a New York Foundation for the Arts grant. In 2018, she was named Fulbright Specialist in Peacebuilding and Reconciliation, U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and World Learning, and received an Award for Excellence for Cities of Peace from KFOR / NATO.

Ellen Frank founded Cities of Peace Illuminated® in 2004 as a flagship initiative of the Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation. Based in the United States but created with participation by artists, students, scholars and institutions from more than 52 countries, Cities of Peace Illuminated includes a collection of monumental gold-illuminated paintings honoring the history and culture of world cities that have experienced devastating conflict and trauma.

Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation, Inc. (EFIAF) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2004, is dedicated to building a global culture of understanding, peacebuilding, human rights education, and cultural diplomacy through the transformative power of collaborative art-making. EFIAF teaches through a process of participatory artistic engagement, interdisciplinary research, creative discovery, and expression in order to promote leadership, global citizenship, outreach, and engagement in world affairs. https://efiaf.org

Friday, April 12, 5:00-7:00 pm — Exhibition Opening Reception

Saturday, April 13, 2:00 pm — Cities of Peace Kosovo Project Presentation

Sunday, April 14, 11:00 am — Poetry Reading

Exhibition on view Friday to Sunday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm