THE PROBLEM:

Though our world is made up of peoples of all types of shapes, sizes, beliefs, religions, cultures... yet, many times humans use those idiosyncracies to tear each other down rather than as simply a fact of life.  

LACK OF EXPOSURE IS AN ISSUE

Did you learn about the many peoples of the world in school? If you are like most people, probably not. We know that the world is turned upside down, people are divided along class, ethnic and religious lines and schools are having a hard time teaching our next generation how to truly be global citizens.  BUT, what if there was some weird little common denominator found in many of these cultures that could be used as a place of common ground?  

ENTER BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED

For the past 5 years, Beautifully Wrapped, an interfaith, multi-cultural project of Detroit based anthropologist Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, has been using the ancient practice of headwrapping to spark conversations about faith, spirituality, diversity, love and respect. From universities to libraries, our traveling exhibition, annual calendar and events have reached over 6500 people and now with your help we can take this on the road.

I think we all agree that every little bit of hope helps. Please generously support us in creating a world-class traveling exhibition to serve as a vehicle for love and understanding in our world. 

(Photo by Stephane Tourné)

WHY PEOPLE LOVE THIS EXHIBIT

Imagine if at college or at your local library you learned about Rastafarians, Muslims, Orthodox Jews and Christians, African groups, Sikhs and more. How cool would that be? This exhibit helps us learn more about people in the world by asking essential questions about culture, society and the everyday lives of individuals who look and dress differently than the "norm". People often walk away saying, “Wow, I never knew that!”  In our contemporary world of social upheaval and religious conflict, this exhibition represents a beam of light and allows people to step outside of their cultural comfort zone and learn more about others.

 (A portion of the exhibit on display at the Black Arts & Cultural Center in Kalamazoo)

WHERE CAN YOU CATCH THE EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY?

Beautifully Wrapped has been in various libraries throughout it’s home state of Michigan, it’s also presented workshops in Bermuda, Atlanta and Dubai.  We've received requests from California, Atlanta, New York, North Carolina and New Mexico.  We are now talking with schools, universities, organizations to create out a full traveling schedule across the United States starting with Chelsea, Michigan from Nov 1-28 2017.  Want us to come to your city?  Just let us know!

WHAT WILL BE IN THE EXHIBIT?

With the success of this campaign, our vision is to expand our current mini-exhibition which includes 24 photographs (18”x18”), a companion wall calendar, and often times a workshop into a full, museum-quality mixed-medium traveling exhibition that includes:

•50 photographs

•Engaging Text & Visuals

•Wrapped Mannequins & other 3-D pieces

•Music

•Textiles

•Multi-media visual performances and workshops with historians

*Hand’s on Activities

OPEN ARTISTS SUBMISSION

We want this platform to be open. Therefore we shall invite artists, writers, painters, filmmakers, photographers, dancers, poets, performance artists to submit proposals for visual presentations and/or exhibition showcase on topics relating to “The Fashion, Tradition & Culture of Headwrapping”. This multi-platform project aims to bring together the work of artists and creative talents from all over the region and the world. The showcase focuses on creating dialogue and the open submission gives local and international artists the opportunity to make and share work and contribute to the larger discourse on spirituality and culture.

FULL EXHIBITION OPENING FALL 2018

It will take us an additional 8 months to a year to curate, design and manufacture the exhibit.

WHAT DOES IT COST AND HOW CAN YOU BE A PART?

The total cost of this quality exhibition is $90,000. Alhamdullilah, we have already raised a matching grant of $45,000 from the dynamic #KnightFoundation.

An exhibit like this usually is backed by a large underwriting corporation and falls under a major museum. What we are doing, by independently producing something of this magnitude and quality is unheard of.  Your contributions are going to purchase textiles, photographs and other art for the exhibit; cover the cost of design; and allow us to begin making the touring schedule focusing on locations that will first reach students.

(Founder Zarinah El-Amin Naeem accepting the KNIGHT Foundation award)

The following is a breakdown of some of what goes into this project:

• Raise first portion of the funds (Completed with the $45K from KNIGHT)

• Print Current Photos from the Beautifully Wrapped Collection
• Design & Print the Companion Calendar
• Open Call for Submissions, Identify and Purchase art from other artists
• Hire writers, designers and fabricators
• Begin publicity campaign to universities, schools, and organizations
• Finalize design and begin fabrication
• Open the exhibit!

Share this Campaign with all your friends and family.

We need everyone's support, send the link to this campaign to everyone you know and tell them to support and share it with everyone they know. This is not just about making a movie, this is about making a positive difference in this world today. 

ABOUT ZARINAH & BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED

Everyone has a favorite line in scripture and one of mine is “We have made you into nations and tribes so that you may get to know one another.” Quran 49:13 

As an anthropologist and cultural presenter, my goal in life is to be a vehicle for increasing cultural understanding.  I started Beautifully Wrapped after noticing the public’s fascination in my headwraps but while traveling I noticed there are so many cultures that also wrap.  A light bulb went off and I decided to create Beautifully Wrapped, a project that could education, entertain and foster love and understanding between various ethnic and religious groups. I started with a simple wall calendar with the goal of filling public spaces with diverse images of beauty and culture not often seen in such a way. From the calendar, I began talking at universities and hosting headwrap parties on the global culture of headwrapping and later founded a national event, The Headwrap Expo.  

(Children trying Nigerian headwrapping for the first time at Zarinah's Beautifully Wrapped workshop in Sharjah, UAE)

I absolutely LOVE seeing the reactions from guests of all ages.  People smile, they ask questions and they learn a little bit more about the world. Step by step, Beautifully Wrapped grew into an international, interfaith project that brings together people of all cultures and ethnicities to showcase the art form of headwrapping as a way to promote beauty, spiritual identity and holistic health and healing. We endeavor to inspire, enlighten, and empower women of all walks of life through education, publications, media, and fashion.

(Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, founder along with members of the Michigan Gurdwara Sikh Organization at the 4th Annual Headwrap Expo)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Let's bring to museums, libraries, schools and universities, an exhibit that has the ability to open minds and heal hearts. Thank you all so very much for taking the time to learn more about our expansion.  I hope you're as excited as I am to continue making the world a better place!

And please share this with your network, every little gesture helps us bring this to life.

Zarinah El-Amin Naeem

Founder, Beautifully Wrapped