Cultural Canvas

Announcing, Miss International goes International!

I am so excited to share with you all that I will be traveling to Chiang Mai Thailand April 20th – May 12th. It is a going to be an adventure of a lifetime! 

I have partnered with Cultural Canvas Thailand to live and stay with their children for three weeks. Every day I will lead healing art workshops for children who are living in poverty, homelessness, or who have suffered abuse and neglect. Even though Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles,” any of the Chiang Mai children are forced to spend long hours on the streets begging for food and money. Cultural Canvas rescues children and gives them a safe place to call home. I will be joining up with a group of volunteers from all around the world to introduce these children to art and creative outlets. 

I am particularly excited about the cultural art exchange project I will be bringing from the Free Arts Minnesota children to the Cultural Canvas Thailand children. My goal is to promote global understanding and respect for one another through a visual language because even though they many be very different culturally and geographically; they may find they are very similar artistically. 

In order to raise the funds necessary to transport myself, and the art supplies needed for three weeks of art leadership classes to Chiang Mai, I held a fundraiser March 10th.  My guests met me in the Buddha Lounge  for a VIP Dinner, followed by a silent auction and cocktails, at Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant in Minneapolis. I auctioned off a few of my personal artwork pieces and 24 amazing auction items in all, including an 8-day vacation at one of 12 destinations, as well as announcing raffle winners every 30 minutes! 

This was definitely one of the greatest nights of my reign. I am so blessed to be able to share a meal with the people I love and those who have supported me without hesitation. I am blessed, blessed, blessed, to be surrounded by people like you. I have never had such a respect and appreciation for the connection between people who are not immediate family. I never thought I would have that kind of love, but I have found it here in the International system. 

The evening was a big success! We raised over $2,000!! Thank you so much to everyone who came out. The attendance reached maximum capacity and outreached my expectations. 

Thank you for your generosity and continued support. 

All my love,

Krista Wanous

Miss International 2012