This fall we’re exhibiting at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church in  the Meadowbrook neighborhood of North East Seattle .

• Lake City Holiday Project
• SHARE Shelter
• Lake City After School Project
• Meadowbrook Garden and Orchard
• Meadowbrook Creek Stewardship
• Urban CrossTrek
• ESL Classes

Maple Leaf Lutheran Church is located at 10005 32nd Ave NE in Seattle. Take some time to stop by!

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Jagshanti Udayan Ghar is a red brick home, completed in 2003 and inaugurated by Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Vishnu Kant Shastri.  This foster home, equivalent to 3 Udayan Ghar units, is home to 42 girls, varying in age from 8 to 22 years- including the girls in the Aftercare Programme who are above 18. With a large basement and three storeys, it is built around a courtyard. Looking up, you are surrounded by girls scurrying above you on all four sides! That’s if they aren’t outdoors in the large basketball court and play area where they cycle, or in the basement busy with yoga, dance or art classes. 

Blind Rug Aid artist works on a rug in The Gambia, West Africa.

Source : Queen Anne/Magnolia News www.queenannenews.com

5/2/2012 12:07:00 PM

This summer entrepreneur Alyssa Johnson will be exhibiting an international collection of artwork from West Africa and the Caribbean at Magnolia United Church of Christ.

The exhibit opens on May 20, 2012. The artwork will come from such countries as The Gambia, Croix de Boquets, Haiti, Santiago, Dominican Republic, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The exhibit features hand stitched rugs made by the blind in The Gambia. This wonderful project, Rug Aid, has successfully helped the blind turn from beggars to rug makers with dignified artisan jobs. Alyssa was thrilled to discover the project on her trip to The Gambia in December and purchase rugs to bring back to the states to share and exhibit and hopes to continue supporting their efforts. They use bright colored scraps from tailor shops that you can find every two blocks in The Gambia, just like coffee shops in Seattle.

The church exhibit will feature three Caribbean island artists as well. Colorful paper mache carnaval masks from Santiago, Dominican Republic made by award winning artist, Manuel de Jesus Jimenez will be featured. In addition, recycled oil drum sculptures from Zig Zag Atelier D’Arte from Croix de Boquets, Haiti will be available for purchase. Sculptures include cats, butterflies, fish, suns, birds, drummers and dancers. Anna Rosa Astolfi’s beautiful metal plated crosses from San Juan, Puerto Rico will also be exhibited.

On each trip to the Dominican Republic to buy art, Alyssa supports four schools in poor neighborhoods in the Dominican Republic with donations of items such as computers, soccer balls, baseball mitts, and school supplies.

December is upon us. Looking for that special unique gift for a special one?
Splash has lots of colorful unique Caribbean arts and crafts to choose from around town and online.

Splash of the Caribbean’s Holidaaze Seattle shopping guide:

DECEMBER 4th Check us out at C and P Coffee’s Holiday Craft Fair on California in West Seattle. Come enjoy the ambience for yourself and bring your laptop to use the free wireless internet access. Indulge in great coffee, wholesome baked goods andchatr with friendly folks.

CHOCOLATI-For the month of December only we are exhibiting Mexican coconut masks, mirrors and Frida Khalo art along with Haitian miniature paintings and Haitian metal art pieces at The Wallingford Chocolati located by the QFC on 45th. Get your chococlate fix here. They have delicious locally hand made fine candies and everything chocolate!

GREEN BEAN COFFEEHOUSE-For December you can also find us at Green Bean Coffee house on Greenwood at 85th. You’ll find our Haitian Metal art, Honduran bamboo masks and Caribbean paintings there and our holiday and worldy photograpahy cards. The Greenbean is a non-profit coffeehouse that exists to create life giving community in Greenwood while serving quality coffee from Caffe Lusso, a local Redmond roasting company that works directly with farmers to provide US, the coffee drinkers, with the best possible cup of coffee!  They have a great selection of pastries, desserts and hot food items baked onsite daily by their wonderful staff and volunteer bakers.

Check out our other ongoing locations too!!!

Shop at Gem Haven in Pike Place Market for our larimar and dreamcatchers.

We wish you a joyous holiday season!!

Alyssa Johnson holds a carnival mask handmade by a Dominican Republic artist. These decorate the walls of C&P. Their sales will help Caribbean causes.

C&P Coffee, 5612 California Ave. SW, holds its one-day Arts & Crafts Fair featuring unique, local and foreign arts and crafts for sale. Jewelry, toys, clothing, prints, paintings, furniture, and more will be on display.

The show runs 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The shop’s walls feature (through August) Caribbean artwork that benefits the triple bottom line company, “A Splash of the Caribbean“.

“We have masks made out of calabash cords, paper mache carnival masks, metal etched paintings on wood, and rag rugs made out of rice sacks from the Dominican Republic,” said Alyssa Johnson, a Queen Anne resident who operates A Splash of the Caribbean. The triple bottom line company comes from the “people, profit, planet” model and Johnson said she fundraises and donates to schools in the Dominican Republic.

Also featured at the Fair is photography by Sydni Smith, and whimsical handmade hats and other fabric art by Helen Johnson. This is Smith’s second time fundraising for Charlie, her dog with the mounting vet bills.

William Dietrich left, myself and Huxley Dean, Brad Smith

Last month Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington launched their first 40 year history book, Green Fire. The book is beautifully written by Pulitzer Prize winner, William Dietrich and Huxley College students. I was honored to be one of the 40 out of 4000 graduates profiled in the book. Each profiled alumni had a unique interesting career path since graduation. The Mayor of Bellingham, also a Huxley graduate, attended the launch at Village Books and was profiled in the 177 page book along with one of the top ten climbers in the world, Director of Seatac Airport, powerful attorneys and other environmental leaders and professionals.

In 1969 Huxley College was established at Western Washington University and educated some of our nation’s environmental heroes and leading environmental professionals. The environmental movement and milestones from the 1970’s into the 21st century is highlighted throughout. The book is complete with great archival photos and fun student photos from the 70’s.

About the Author:

William Dietrich won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University (1987–88) and won National Science Foundation fellowships to Antarctica in 1994 and 1996. He has written fifteen novels and non-fiction books including, Napoleon’s Pyramids, The Rosetta Key, The Dakota Cipher, and The Barbary Pirates. Copies of Green Fire can be purchased through Village Books or Huxley College through Manca Valum at 360.650.6542, email Huxley.Book@wwu.edu. All proceeds from the book go back to Huxley College.

Splash of the Caribbean is now exhibiting our paintings, Haitian Metal art and our retro unisex vinyl record bags at Fainting Goat Gelato for June in Wallingford for the Wallingford Art Walk. Now I understand why people will wait in line around the corner for Fainting Goat’s Gelato! It is delicious! Try the salted carmel! They are right on 45th across the street from Chocolati.

We’re also exhibiting at Endolyne Joe’s this spring and summer for their Brazilian menu. Check out our rag rugs, metal plated saints, carnaval masks, coconut butterflys and hand painted items.They are right around the corner from the Fauntleroy Ferry at 2114 North 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 . A West Seattle favorite and perfect spot for sunday brunch!

Photo by Alyssa Johnson

Splash’s colorful rag rugs from the Dominican Republic are now available in the front window at the Seattle Art Museum’s gift shop,  the SAM Shop,  on 1st Ave in downtown Seattle. This Spring SAM is featuring, Nick Cave’s stunning “Soundsuits”. Meet me at the Center of the Earth is showing through June 5th. The exhibit is organized by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. On March 26th kids can make their own puppet.
Don’t miss it!

Mariner's Player, Edgar Martinez checks out our new Vinyl Record Bags at Safeco Field. Photo by Alyssa Johnson

Firewheel Books and Beans on Oak Street in Everett is now showing our new hip vinyl unisex record bags from Dominican Republic, pop top purses from Mexico and photography cards. The vinyl record bags where a hit at Safeco Field last week, I got 5 comments within 2 hours so can’t wait for these to hit more retail outlets! Starting April 15th,we’ll also be exhibiting Caribbean masks, Haitian metal sculptures and room dividers, and paintings this Spring for the Everett Art Walk. Catch their open mic every second and fourth Friday of each month and Native American flute the last Saturday of each month.

Mariner Moose loves our new Vinyl Record Bags. Photo by Alyssa Johnson

Firewheel Books and Beans is owned and operated by Roya and Mike, who moved to Everett from San Diego to enjoy the changing seasons and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Roya is an engineer by trade, and Mike previously worked as an attorney. Owning and operating Firewheel Books and Beans is the culmination of their desire to live a simpler life, and to have the opportunity to be of service and to connect with people on a personal level every day.

Investor judges from Microsoft, Grameen Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and local universities listen to Hamara's Sanitation business plan.

This week, I was thrilled to participate as an Investor Judge again this year for the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) at Foster School of Buiness at the University of Washington. The investor panel judged 13 interdisciplinary student teams from India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Ukraine, United States, Kenya and Canada whom proposed creative, commercially viable businesses aimed at reducing poverty in the developing world. The teams are competing for up to US$30,000 in prizes, including an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and a Global Health prize.

The Investor’s Choice Award went to Sanergy: Sanergy produces electricity and fertilizer through providing safe, affordable sanitation across the slums of Kenya. In these areas with no infrastructure and limited resources, they are pioneering a model providing sustainable sanitation services by combining low-cost technology developed at MIT with an innovative deployment strategy.

The People’s Choice Award went to Wello – A Simple Design Can Change the World:
Wello aims to improve global access to water and reduce the physical and time burdens of water collection by manufacturing and distributing a water transportation tool, the WaterWheel. Their innovative Business in a Barrel model enables thier customers to improve their economic status while improving the health of their communities.

Myself with Wello's Founder and CEO, Cynthia Koenig

I enjoyed speaking with this year’s competitors about the viability, competitiveness, challenges, and social returns of their businesses. Several already had start up funding and pilots in action while others just had plans in place. The businesses were definately innovative, especially NextDrop, which notifies water users by cell phone exactly when their water will arrive. In India, water can take up to eight days to arrive. I enjoyed learning about the mission of One4OneIT trying to empower youth with IT training and jobs to help lift Bangladesh out of poverty. This was a facinating investment of my time this week!

Haina school kids by Alyssa Johnson

It’s been a while since I updated progress with the Solaidom Schools in the Dominican Republic. However, I’m happy to report, on my recent trip to Dominican Republic I was able to visit the 4th Solaidom School located in Haina and run by school director, Chantal de Campos. She’s originally from France and has been living in the Dominican Republic for over 30 years.The other three schools are located in Guayacanes, Soco Batey on a sugar cane plantation and San Pedro de Macoris. She teaches French, Theatre, Painting and Poetry. School Alumni are now guides at the
Cueva de Las Maravillas and work in coastal hotels as well; a much brighter future than moto conchos or working the sugar cane fields.

Haina school kids by Alyssa Johnson

Splash of the Caribbean and our friends have been supporting the schools since 2004 when we started. We’ve provided school supplies, sports equipment and donations. This trip we were able to bring laptop computers, thanks to a donation from Child United and Ellen Johnson. In addition we also donated baseball mits for the boys. Baseball is the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic and thousands of young boys play their hearts out, hoping one day, to make it to the big leagues.

Haina school kids by Alyssa Johnson

Chantal plans to now offer mobile computer classes for all 4 schools with the new lap tops. Interested in teaching a class at the schools or making a donation? Believe, me they can use the help and support. They could use English classes, art classes, creative writing, school supplies, more laptops and educational DVD’s. Check out our community outreach page for more info on the other schools.
Contact us for further details!