Continue reading “Annual Art Auction Featured at 19th Annual BBS”
Category: News : Archive
You’re Invited to our Community Open House!
Come see the new Womanspace Headquarters and the Barbara and Herb Goodfriend Counseling Center at our new location at 1530 Brunswick Avenue in Lawrenceville on Wednesday, April 25th from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm. Facility tours will be given and light refreshments will be served. RSVP by Monday, April 23, 2012 by calling 609-394-0136.
Parking is on side streets and in the rear of the building. Take Pear Street off Brunswick Avenue and take immediate right at the first alley way. See signs for Womanspace parking. We look forward to seeing you!
April 25th is also Denim Day. Feel free to wear jeans in support of the Denim Day initiative. Click here to read more.
Upcoming Spring Events:
Spring has sprung!
As we move into spring, there are plenty of opportunities to participate in upcoming Womanspace events!
Healthy Relationships Library Seminars – Various dates throughout April
5th Annual Run Over Violence 5k – Saturday, April 20
10:00 am at Rider University Campus Mall in Lawrenceville, NJ
Wing Eating Contest – Saturday, April 20
5:00 pm at McGuinn’s Place in Lawrenceville, NJ
Denim Day – Wednesday, April 24
13th Annual Rave Walk – Saturday, April 27
9:15 am at Veterans Park in Hamilton, NJ
Ten Thousand Villages fundraiser – Friday, May 3
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Ten Thousand Villages in Princeton, NJ
Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Event – Tuesday, May 21
5:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Princeton, NJ
2014 Barbara Boggs Sigmund Honoree
Womanspace to Honor JOE TORRE
Womanspace is privileged to honor Major League Baseball’s Hall of Famer, Joe Torre, for his efforts to end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives. Mr. Torre was chosen for his inspiring contributions in his professional career and personal life which model Barbara Boggs Sigmund’s spirit of making significant societal contributions to improve lives and forge paths to which others may aspire.
Click here for more information on the 20th Annual Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award.
Joe Torre joins a long list of distinguished BBS honorees including Diane Sawyer, Faith Ringgold and last year’s honoree, Lee Woodruff. Learn more about the past Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award honorees.
About Joe Torre:
Joe Torre is Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, overseeing areas that include Major League Operations, On-Field Discipline and Umpiring. Appointed to his role by Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig on February 26, 2011, Torre serves as the Office of the Commissioner’s primary liaison to the general managers and field managers of the 30 Major League Clubs.
Torre is the Chairman of the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, which he and his wife, Ali, launched in 2002. The Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation’s mission is to develop educational programs that will end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives. In 2010, Torre was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women.
Torre was a Major League manager for 29 years, guiding five different Clubs, and he ranks fifth all-time in managerial wins. He led the New York Yankees to four World Series Championships (1996, 1998-2000) and six American League pennants in his 12 years with the team.
During his 18-year playing career with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets, Torre was a nine-time All-Star and the 1971 National League Most Valuable Player.
On December 9, 2013, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that its Expansion Era Committee had unanimously elected Torre as a part of its Class of 2014 inductees. Hall of Fame Weekend 2014 will be held July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York, with the Induction Ceremony slated for Sunday, July 27, 2014.
Torre was born on July 18, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. He, Ali and their daughter, Andrea, live in Beverly Hills, California. His three adult children are Michael, Cristina and Lauren.
LUMINARIES WILL SHINE BRIGHT TONIGHT
Communities of Light™ Countywide Lighting is TODAY – Monday, December 8, 2014, at dusk
Mercer County residents will light candles at dusk on Monday, December 8, 2014, in recognition of the Womanspace 13th Annual Communities of Light™ (COL), the largest single project in Mercer County and New Jersey designed to increase awareness about the serious issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. Click here to learn more about Communities of Light.
Each luminary kit costs $10 and includes supplies and safety instructions for assembling 6 luminary displays to cover 150 linear feet. Kits are for sale at various retail locations throughout Mercer County, click for a complete list of Retailers. No time to get to the store? Click here to purchase a Virtual Luminary.
Thousands of candles will sparkle as Mercer County residents unite in illuminating their neighborhood streets, walkways, businesses, churches and community centers. Click here for a list of municipal and community lightings.
Womanspace uses this annual awareness campaign to raise funds by selling luminary kits containing votive candles and luminary bags with assembly instructions, for lighting in public ceremonies or vigils at dusk on a night during the winter solstice. Volunteers coordinate participation within their neighborhoods, businesses, police stations, faith groups and community organizations to illuminate the night and send the message that “Peace Begins at Home.” Porches, walkways, driveways and sidewalks will be lit in a united message of hope for survivors of domestic violence & sexual assault.
Proceeds from this event enable Womanspace to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families, ensuring that no victim is ever turned away. Services include emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, victim assistance, and transitional housing. Founded over 30 years ago, Womanspace Inc. is the only non-profit agency serving victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Mercer County.
Womanspace is grateful for the generous support of our sponsors: Capital Health, PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, Princeton Orthopaedic Associates, Doctors Express Urgent Care, Trenk DiPasquale Della Fero and Sodono, Mason, Griffin, Pierson P.c. Counselors at Law, and the Bank of Princeton.
If you are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault and are in need of assistance, please call Womanspace’s 24-Hour Hotline at 609-394-9000.
Womanspace Healthcare Initiative
Womanspace has launched the Womanspace Healthcare Initiative. Its goal is to provide education and tools to healthcare professionals in Mercer County so that they are empowered to consistently and effectively screen potential victims, and to build partnerships with healthcare systems within Mercer County.
Through experience and research, we know that properly trained doctors and nurses are uniquely qualified to help battered women, who see them for both routine and emergency care.
For Immediate Release: 6-10-2011
- Faith Ringgold Receives Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award: Inspiring Others to Greatness (click to download press release as PDF)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 10, 2011
Contact: Susan D. Klejst, Director of Development
Womanspace, Inc.
1212 Stuyvesant Ave. Trenton, NJ 08618
P -609-394-0136 F-609-396-1093
sdk@womanspace.org
Faith Ringgold Receives Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award: Inspiring Others to Greatness
Womanspace Inc. hosted its 17th annual Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award reception and fundraiser on Thursday, May 12th, at a new location – the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, Princeton, N.J. Friends, benefactors, patrons, sponsors, volunteers and colleagues were all buzzing with excitement about artist and author Faith Ringgold who was this year’s recipient of the prestigious award.
Barbara Boggs Sigmund was a former Mayor of Princeton Borough and a Mercer County Freeholder. She proactively spoke out about domestic violence, and was one of the co-founders of Womanspace. Each year Womanspace honors Barbara Boggs Sigmund’s spirit and passion by presenting the award to a woman who has made a significant contribution to society to improve people’s lives. Each honoree is someone who inspires others to greatness.
Faith Ringgold is best known for her painted story quilts, art that combines painting, quilted fabric and storytelling. She has exhibited in major museums in the USA, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. In Mercer County, N.J., her renowned work is featured with a mosaic mural from her award-winning book Tar Beach, on the third floor of the Princeton Public Library.
Ringgold is the recipient of more than 75 awards including 22 Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degrees. She has received fellowships and grants that include the National Endowment For the Arts Award for sculpture (1978) and for painting (1989); The La Napoule Foundation Award for painting in France (1990); The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship for painting (1987); The New York Foundation For the Arts Award for painting (1988); The American Association of University Women for travel to Africa (1976); The Creative Artists Public Service Award for painting (1971).
The evening began with opening remarks from Womanspace Board President, Cynthia Ricker, and a short film presentation featuring women who have survived domestic abuse. Each of the women praised Womanspace and said they could not have survived without the organization’s services.
Next event chairs, Jigna Rao and Ingrid Reed, thanked everyone for coming and supporting Womanspace. Honorary chair, Cokie Roberts, who is an ABC News political commentator and sister of Barbara Boggs Sigmund could not attend the event, but wrote a special tribute to Ringgold which was shared by Ingrid Reed. “I wish that we didn’t need a place for women and children to find refuge from abusers, but as my sister Barbara well knew, that day is unlikely to ever come, and so Womanspace will be a vital resource in the community into the future,” said Roberts.
First grade teacher Ivey Avery attended the event. The first grade teachers at Christopher Columbus Elementary school in Trenton use the literature of Faith Ringgold in their reading curriculum. “We find that her books excite children and make reading an adventure. We have read Tar Beach, The Invisible Princess, Cassie’s Word Quilt and Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky. After reading each book the children are given a specific activity or project to complete,” said Avery. “We so love the work of Mrs. Ringgold that the students created cards and letters for her. We put them in a large sunflower box along with a few other small gifts and sent them to her. In return she brought 5 autographed books and other gifts for the students to the Womanspace banquet. She is a special lady.”
The salute and award presentation to Faith Ringgold began with an introduction of Ringgold’s life and career by Judith K. Brodsky and Dr. Ferris Olin. The two are co-founders of the Rutgers Institute for Women and Art, and have worked together for many decades featuring the work of women and artists of underrepresented populations. In 2009 they organized a 50 year retrospective of Ringgold’s work at Rutgers University. “Faith has made art about experiences that are related to those of the women and children that Womanspace helps,” said Brodsky and Olin. “To her optimism, persistence, her belief in herself and her art, as well as her commitment to the good of her family. She has made contributions to help the rest of us live our lives in better ways. She is a model for the women that Womanspace assist and to women at all levels of their personal lives and public histories.”
After receiving her award Faith Ringgold delighted the audience with a screen presentation of her artwork. “Through my art I have tried to share the experience of what it is like to be an African American Woman in America,” said Ringgold. “As an artist I can do what I want, I can say what I want, of course people can decide not to look at it, but they can’t stop me from doing it because we have a thing called freedom of speech, which is the best thing about America.”
Ringgold went on to talk about her struggle to have her work shown in New York during the 1960s, but Ringgold who is now 80-years-old, added that “if you live long enough all of your dreams can come true!”
“Now doors just seem to open without my demonstrating or anything else,” she added.
Ringgold said the most challenging art series she’s ever done is titled the Declaration of Freedom and Independence. The compositions contrast the exalted terms of the seminal American document with the lurid facts of slavery. “My intention in these illustrations is to tell the story of the forefather’s declaration of independence from the British, along with the African-American struggle for freedom and equality, ” said Ringgold. When she created the series Ringgold stated, “These illustrations are dedicated to the American people, who in 2008 elected our first black president, Barack Obama, to be the 44th president of the United States.”
In addition to showing her artwork during the reception, Ringgold also demonstrated her generosity by donating two prints for Womanspace to auction at the event. One print celebrated Oprah Winfrey’s 25 years of hosting a talk show, and the other print featured children who had survived the recent earthquake in Haiti.
The top sponsors of the event were 94.5 WPST; Compass Healthcare Marketers; Bloomberg; Drinker, Biddle & Wreath; New Jersey Manufacturers; Payment Management; and PSE&G. Table Favors were provided courtesy of Wegmans and Johnson & Johnson.
Womanspace provides programs for families struggling with domestic violence and sexual assault. Over 10,000 adults and children were served last year. Programs include crisis intervention, emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, housing services, and a 24-hour hotline: (609) 394-9000.
For more information about Womanspace or the annual BBS Award, please visit online: www.womanspace.org or contact Susan D. Klejst, director of development by phone (609) 394-0136 or by email: sdk@womanspace.org .
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1. Womanspace_17thBBSAward_Honors_FaithRinggold.jpg –
Thank you to everyone who supported Womanspace 17th annual Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award (BBS) event honoring Faith Ringgold, acclaimed Artist and Writer. In Photo: Celebrating with Faith Ringgold (center holding the signature Boehm Porcelain BBS Award Rose) are (left to right) Event Chairs Jigna Rao and Ingrid Reed, Board President Cynthia Ricker, Ms. Ringgold, Executive Director Patricia Hart, and Professor Paul Sigmund, husband of our late Founder and event namesake.
Ivey Avery, Trenton teacher, asks Faith Ringgold to sign a quilt made by her friend Gail Anne Mitchell, another local teacher, in tribute to Ms. Ringgold’s books, which both teachers use in their classrooms.
3. Womanspace2011_BBS_RaffleWinner.jpg –
And the WINNER IS…
The lucky winner of the luxurious all-inclusive Winners Choice Trip for Two to Cancun OR Punta Cana is, Karen Parrow! The Grand Prize Raffle held during the annual Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award is a coveted prize valued at $3,500 and is generously sponsored by Radio Station 94.5 WPST and provided through Apple Vacations. Awarding this year’s winning vacation prize from Nassau Broadcasting is (center right) Lydia Rios, VP and General Sales Manager (center left) and winning ticket holder Karen Parrow. Representing Womanspace are (left to right) Director of Development Susan D. Klejst, Board President Cynthia Ricker, Karen Parrow, Lydia Rios, and BBS Award Event Chairs Ingrid Reed and Jigna Rao.
Other Event Photos
Ad Journal
Now you can download the full 64-page 2011 Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award program journal and insert page distributed at the event.
You can also view our event poster.
Event Sponsors
Many thanks to our corporate sponsors!
Thank You for Supporting Womanspace!
Thank you to everyone who supported our 20th annual Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award (BBS) event on Wednesday, April 30th, at the Hyatt Regency Princeton. Friends, benefactors, patrons, sponsors, volunteers, and staff were all thrilled about this year’s award honoree, Major League Baseball’s Hall of Famer, Joe Torre.
Photo: Celebrating with Joe Torre (center) are (left to right) Executive Director Patricia Hart, Board Member and Event Chair Danielle Coppola, Joe Torre, Cokie Roberts, sister of our late Founder, and Board Member and Event Chair Dana Fraytak Troiano.
2014 Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Ad Journal.
Click here to view the 2014 Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award photo gallery.
You can reserve your spot in the 2015 Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Ad Journal today! Contact Director of Development, Lauren Nazarian, at 609-394-0136 or lan@womanspace.org for more information.
Volunteers Wanted
If you are looking to make a difference in your community, this is your opportunity!
Womanspace is currently accepting applications for new team members (applications due by February 14, 2014). The next training class begins March 5, 2014. Learn more about joining the Domestic Violence Victim Response Teams (DVVRT) and/or Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) advocates.
The team members work in conjunction with the police to provide support, information, and referral at the time of a domestic violence crisis. Team members will be contacted by Police personnel and respond to Police Headquarters to meet with domestic violence victims. They will provide information and support in order to assist victims in making educated decisions that positively effect individual and family conditions.
Volunteers will receive 80+ hours of extensive, specialized training on topics including the law, sensitivity to the needs of victims and their children, and how to provide appropriate responses at a very critical time. Ongoing training will also be provided. Trained volunteers must be “on call” (available to respond to call-outs at police departments or hospitals) two to four shifts per month. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle. The application process includes a background check, fingerprinting and interview.
Bi-lingual individuals, especially those fluent in Spanish, Polish and American Sign Language are strongly encouraged to apply!
To apply for the next training class, download and complete this application. Please submit your application by August 15, 2014. For more information about volunteering on the teams, please contact Heidi Mueller at dvvrt@womanspace.org and Alison Daks at sass@womanspace.org, or call (609) 394-0136.
Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Event
View photos from the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Reception on May 12, 2011, at Pro One Event Photography.
Read the full press release here.
The 17th Annual WOMANSPACE Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Event Honoring Faith Ringgold, Acclaimed Artist and Writer:
Ms. Ringgold began her artistic career more than 35 years ago as a painter. Today, she is best known for her painted story quilts – art that combines painting, quilted fabric and storytelling. She has exhibited in major museums in the USA, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. She is in the permanent collection of many museums including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art. Her first book, Tar Beach, was a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, among numerous other honors. She has written and illustrated eleven children’s books. Here in Mercer County, the third floor of the Princeton Public Library features a mosaic mural from Ms. Ringgold’s book Tar Beach.
Be sure to mark your calendar for May 12, 2011, and join us for a celebratory dinner and award reception honoring Ms. Ringgold’s achievements. View and print the Save the Date! card here. Our 2011 BBS Honorary Chair is Cokie Roberts, sister of our late founder and award namesake.
Learn more about the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award here, including info on corporate sponsorships and past award honorees.
This year’s event will take place at a new location, the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, from 6:30 to 9:00pm.
Register online for tickets or sponsorships today.
About the Womanspace Grand Prize Raffle Trip for Two to Cancun or Punta Cana: visit the raffle page
NJ LGCCC ID # 495-5-28933. License # RL-328
No substitution of the offered prize may be made and no cash value will be given in lieu of the prize.
