WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Artsbridge will host its 2013 Summer Showcase on Sunday, July 28, from 11 to 3 p.m. at Buxton School, located at 291 South St.

 

The showcase will include students' art exhibitions, short film screenings and performance by the students. There will also be craft activities, face painting, a barbecue lunch and more for attendees.

 

Tickets are $15. (There is no charge.)

 

Artsbridge, Inc. is a nonprofit that uses art and dialogue to develop constructive partnerships between youth on both sides of the Israeli-Palenstinian conflict. Each summer, Artsbridge hosts a Intercultural Leadership Development Program, Israeli, Palestinian and American students together to learn to understand the struggles that are being experienced on both sides of the conflict.

 

By exercising creativity and collaboration through art and film, the students are better able to process their experiences. While students do not always agree about past conflicts or the exact solution for the future, they do come to respect each other's experiences, empathize with each other and learn how to work together to create solutions to the pressing issues in their communities.

 

Students will return to their homes, continuing the work through follow-up seminars and serving as peer leaders in their communities. This leadership program offers the students the necessary support structure to continue their learning process while they remain surrounded by the very conflict and criticism they are working to overcome. Artsbridge partners with established community organizations who serve as host sites, provide training and supervision for their staff and in doing so work to create more sustainable change. 

 

Artsbridge founder Debbie Nathan said this is the first year Buxton School hosted Artsbridge and hopes to establish a long-lasting relationship with the school.