» Cherish Rosas

Voice – articulation, delivery, vocalization – is a powerful instrument. As Speak Your Design’s freshest intern, it is my responsibility to conduct the media platforms on which we communicate and provide clarity and consistency for our clients and audiences.

Personally, I am very excited to be on board with Speak Your Design during an important transition in my life. Completing my fifth and final year of architecture school, I am ready to pursue what I have always had passion for – writing, art, community, and design. This opportunity to work at SYD is truly a blessing and promises to be a great experience.

Charlotte has been my home for the past six years, and I have immersed myself in its communal fabric and growing culture. However, I was raised in the country, complete with tractor-pulls and loose bulls, which provided me with a dynamic perspective of life, culture, and community. I came to architecture school with a curiosity for design, and in the years since, I’ve never once turned down an opportunity to diversify my experiences. In my academic career I have worked on two art installations, Rhizome and Storrstex; experienced cities from NYC and Chicago to Denver and Seattle; traveled to Nova Scotia to be part of Ghost 12′s design-build team; photographed the Ghost 13 Conference; and published photography in AZURE, Canadian Architect, and Metropolis Magazine.

My diverse background led me to Speak Your Design with the same curiosity with which I began my architectural education. I look forward to contributing to the discussion about what it is we do and what you, our community, are passionate about.

Amnon Weinstein places the violins in their cases. Photo by Nancy Pierce.

They’re here. The violins are here. After two years of planning, negotiating, organizing, booking, budgeting, fundraising, marketing, and hoping beyond all hope that this project comes to be….Violins of Hope is happening.

The exhibition is beautiful – Amnon, Assi, and their youngest son Jonathan said so themselves. Tickets to the concerts are selling (haven’t bought yours yet? Tsk, tsk. Go here now). Banners are decorating light poles on Tryon Street. It’s really happening.

I love being in the do-er stage of the project. Seeing the results of months of work come to fruition, then problem-solving on the spot when those inevitable discrepancies pop up in the act of making it real – I absolutely love it. And I’ve loved being a part of this project. It has been my honor to be Violins of Hope Project Director.

This is the part where it gets fun – concerts, lectures, exhibitions, not to mention meeting the artists and participants from across the country and around the world who are coming to Charlotte over the course of the next three weeks to be a part of a project that is helping to shape our region’s cultural landscape.

When I say Speak Your Design specializes in projects with purpose, this is what I’m talking about.

You’ve heard about Violins of Hope:

For the first time in North & South America, 18 violins that tell of the Holocaust – its history, victims, and survivors – will be on display and in performance in Charlotte this April. The restoration of these violins bears witness to the spirit and creativity that transcended the horrific events of this period in history.

We’ve put together concerts, exhibitions, theatre premieres, lectures, and films, etc., and now you’re wondering which events you should actually attend. Well, you’re in luck. I’m the lady who’s directing this project, and while I think every single bit of programming is absolutely remarkable, I can’t help but have my favorites.

So listen up, folks. Here’s what I’ve been telling my nearest-and-dearest not to miss:

#1 EXHIBIT. BESA: A Code of Honor
Levine-Sklut Library, Shalom Park.
Now Open. Reception on March 14 at 7pm.
Free.

This is a perfect example of the engaging, layered content that makes up the Violins of Hope project. The photographic exhibition features portraits of Muslim Albanians who saved their Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust. The photographs capture the power of memory, tolerance, and above all, humanity.

#2 CONCERT. Restoring Hope
Sunday, April 15 at 7:30pm.
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts.
Tickets: $30/45.

This musical event kicks off our primary week of events and covers nearly everything (and yes, demands bullet points):

• The Violins of Hope, presented and discussed by the man who restored them.
• International musicians, including young prodigies playing alongside master violinist Shlomo Mintz.
• Varied musical program: from traditional classical pieces to klezmer music to popular music of World War II Europe (think: Viennese coffee houses).
• My favorite performing arts venue in Charlotte: the beautiful and intimate Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts. Is there a bad seat?

TIP: Buy 2 or more tickets to this event and get 20% off tickets to the Triumph of Hope concert, featuring the Charlotte Symphony, on Saturday night (see #5 below). Click here to take advantage of the discount.

#3 Panel Discussion with the Bielskis
Wednesday, April 18 at 5:30pm.
Levine Museum of the New South.
Free with purchase of museum admission.

If you’ve not heard of the Bielskis, 1) add the March 24th screening of the movie “Defiance” to your list of not-to-miss, free events ; and 2) come meet them at the Levine Museum on April 18.

At this event, you can view the exhibition Courage & Compassion: Legacy of the Bielski Brothers (as well as the two other related exhibits being shown here) and talk with Assi Weinstein (daughter of a Bielski brother and wife of the violin maker). Assi is one of the most kind, generous, and brilliant individuals I’ve ever met. She’ll talk about her family and their legacy with her cousin Ruth Ehrreich (also a Bielski daughter) and UNC Charlotte Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies John Cox. Jackie Fishman, longtime Charlotte educator (another brilliant woman) and daughter of a Holocaust survivor, will moderate.

#4 FILM. Charlotte Jewish Film Festival Screening: Violins in Wartime
Thursday, March 8 at 7pm.
Temple Israel.
Free – Donations Accepted.

Full disclosure: I haven’t seen this film so I can’t really recommend it outright. However, the annual Charlotte Jewish Film Festival presents some great work, so if it wasn’t on your radar previously, it should be now. Act fast though because it’s happening…now.

Need another incentive? Tomorrow’s Violins of Hope-affiliated film is free of charge (donations accepted).

#5 CONCERT: Triumph of Hope
Saturday, April 21 at 8pm.
Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
Tickets: $32-100.

If you’re looking for a full-scale, classical concert, complete with the Violins of Hope and orchestra, this is it. Christopher Warren-Green will lead our international guest artists and the Charlotte Symphony in a concert that includes Beethoven, Barber, and Mahler, as well as several rarely heard Jewish, Russian and Armenian pieces.

Ticket prices come at all levels so you can find a price point that fits your budget. If you opt for the VIP tickets, you’ll get the best seats in the house and the opportunity to mingle with the artists after the show.

There you have it, folks – my personal tour through the event schedule.

Buy your tickets now. I’ll highlight each of these events and the others in more detail as we roll toward April so stay tuned. And please share this list, the violinsofhopecharlotte.com website, and your own recommendations with friends, coworkers, family, everyone! Feel free to ask questions or write your top picks in the comments below.

For information about these events and all the others AND to buy tickets, go to: www.violinsofhopecharlotte.com. You can also buy tickets by calling the box office at 704-372-1000.