I love creating art with people who have not yet realized they are artists, and I especially enjoy working with diverse communities. Whether I’m working in the lobby of my local community centre, or in a conflict resolution centre in Bethlehem, or collecting the components of a community art piece by mail, I make sure participants have an opportunity to speak visually about what is important to each of them, and have fun doing it. Here are some of the workshops I have on offer:

Stitching for Social Change
Learn about and create–without sewing–beautiful and meaningful fabric projects for social change, in a workshop suitable for experienced quilters and people new to artistic expression, taught by artist and activist, Sima Elizabeth Shefrin.
   For many years, through quilts, banners and other creative expression, women and men have been stitching their way to a better world. From traditional quilts to banners around the Pentagon, from the small determined arpilleras of Chile, to miles of memorial quilts for people who have died of AIDS, activists have used fabric to put their heartfelt beliefs in the public eye.
   Through slides, discussion, and hands-on participation, participants create fabric projects about an area of social change, dear to their hearts. Sewing is optional, and the workshop is suitable for experienced quilters and people new to artistic expression.

 Organizing a Visual Arts Show
This course is designed for groups and individuals who are organizing visual arts exhibits in a variety of locations, especially those outside of tradition gallery spaces. Whatever the circumstances, a well organized exhibit plan and firm timeline will produce a strong and well attended exhibit. Come away from this workshop with a check list and time line which will keep you on track from your initial concept until the last piece of work has been returned to participating artists.

Lighting Flames Without Burnout;
A Day of Rest for Activists
This workshop is for people who do social activism or community work and would like a day of personal sharing and renewed energy.
As social activists and community workers, we do inspiring and world changing work. We have chosen the responsibility to change society, but we can also choose to be intelligent in the way we do it. The future needs us well rested, well nourished, and well exercised. If we are not enjoying what we are doing let's change that.

This workshop is a chance to share stories of the work you do, your successes and your struggles, in an atmosphere of caring and appreciation. This workshop is an opportunity regain hopefulness, gather renewed energy to continue the important work we do.
Self Portrait Workshops
Create a whimsical self portrait of yourself now, in the past, or in your fantasies. Or use your self portrait to convey your cultural background. You'll work with a pre-prepared body in fabric (or paper) dressing it, and adding a face, hair, etc, to create a finished piece or one which could become part of a group piece. This  workshop can be done as a single event, or as part of the creation of a larger quilt.
This workshop is for families or for people of all ages, but children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. No sewing or artistic experience is necessary.

Building Bridges through the Arts
This presentation offers a survey of the use of the visual and performing arts to build connections and facilitate dialogue among Israelis and Palestinians and raise some of the ethical questions involved in doing this work. The presenter will also share some of her experiences with the Middle East Peace Quilt.
This workshop is for adults and older teens.

Stitching Curriculum
Elizabeth works with all ages to create unique, memorable quilts and banners. Her specialties include drawing out participants' stories through paper and fabric, creating group art projects to illustrate social history or literature, (ie: group murals of Mid Summer Night’s Dream) and using art to facilitate cross-cultural understanding. She is offering workshops in schools and libraries, based on the illustrations from “Abby’s Birds”.
Sewing our Stories
This workshop is about using a needle and thread to telling stories which come from our hearts. As people of different backgrounds, we all have special stories to tell, and stitching is a good way to tell them. In this course we’ll see slides and examples of wonderful and touching fabric stories made by others, and then we’ll get out the fabric and sew our own. Students will learn simple quilting and design techniques. If you already know these come anyway because the most important part will be getting to know each other and telling our stories in quilts.
Everyone is welcome. No sewing or artistic experience is necessary.
Sima Elizabeth Shefrin is an artist and quilter who has been researching and practising political stitchery for over 25 years. In 1999 she was the artist-coordinator of the Middle East Peace Quilt which has been touring North America for the last two years. She has worked for 18 years teaching and participating in peer counselling and listening projects. She is a member of the Palestinian/Jewish women for peace dialogue group.

To contact Elizabeth about a workshop, click here. Her ArtStarts In Schools profile is here.

Meet Abby and Mrs Naka
Abby and her neighbour, Mrs Naka are the fictional characters in Abby’s Birds, the children’s picture book written by Ellen Schwartz and illustrated by Sima Elizabeth Shefrin. In this workshop participants create paper portraits of themselves, done in the style of the book's illustrations. These paper figures  then join the book's characters on paper murals. Each participant  uses a talking balloon to allow  the figures they have created to address questions or comments to Abby and Mrs Naka.
This workshop is for young people and their friends and families.