WOMEN IN ART

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Recognised around the world for her role as Pheobe Halliwell in the TV Series"Charmed", Alyssa Milano has been an Ambassador for UNICEF since 2003 and 2004 she she was an official spokesperson for UNICEF's Trick or Treat campaign. She traveled to India, Kosovo, as well as Angola, to work with UNICEF field officers there. Alyssa hosted a photography exhibition and auction in Los Angeles which raised close to $50,000 for Nkosi's Haven, an organization that runs care centers in South Africa for AIDS-afflicted mothers and children.

Alyssa was appointed Founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, to which she donated $250,000. The Global Network is an alliance formed to advocate and mobilize resources in the fight to control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Alyssa works to raise awareness of NTDs by educating the mainstream media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people who are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.

Alyssa says, "Words cannot fully express the devastation and horror caused by NTDs. Until now, these diseases have been hidden in the shadows, but working with the Global Network, I am focused on bringing this tragedy to the public eye."

In the late 1980s, Alyssa appeared on Phil Donahue's talk show where she kissed Ryan White, a schoolboy ostracised for having AIDS, to show that she would not catch it from him and, in support of PETA, she appeared in an advertisement for them, advocating vegetarianism, in a dress made entirely of vegetables!

In honor of her 37th birthday (December 19, 2009), Alyssa ran an online fundraising campaign to raise money to support Charity: Water's clean water project in Ethiopia. She asked all her Twitter followers to make a donation and spread the word throughout Twitter and Facebook. Her original goal was to raise $25,000 and the final total raised was $92,568, bringing clean water to 4,628 people, 928 families in 19 communities.

As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Alyssa initiated another online campaign through Twitter after the Haiti earthquake to challenge major corporations and organizations to match her donation of $50,000. The Twitter challenge garnered enough visibility to receive dollar-for-dollar matches from three organizations and double matches from two others. This resulted in$400,000 dollars for UNICEF to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Alyssa says, "Social media gives us a platform to use our voice for positive change. There are many opportunities to spread awareness of global health issues through social media tools like Twitter. I'm optimistic that with the right campaign we can mobilise people to learn about how we can improve people's lives."

About the Artist

Tracie Koziura has been exhibiting her art internationally since 2008. Her biggest passion is wolves which are the main subject of her work although she also enjoys creating a variety of other subjects including landscapes, portraits, wildlife and domestic animals. Specialising in pastels, charcoal and tinted graphite, Tracie's images are realistic, inviting the viewer to connect with the subjects character and inner spirit. Despite being a relative newcomer to the world of art her work has been described as sensitive, adventurous and alive.

"I love the freedom creating art gives me; to explore; to study; to learn about the world around me and all that exists within it. Art has opened my eyes to so many things I had taken for granted - unique subtleties I had been too busy to notice. When I paint, the world comes to a halt; the details of life come into focus. It is truly addictive, this desire to create!"

Exhibitions:
2009 Summer Art Exhibition - UK.
2009/2010 Christmas Open Exhibition - UK.

Media:
Nov 2009 - Interview with The Pastel Guild of Europe.
Nov 2009 - Art feature in SAA PAINT - "Defiant Harmony"

Contests:
Oct 2009 - Pastel Guild of Europe Juried Art Contest winner - "Winter Watch"
Apr 2011 - The Artist In YOU! Artist of The Year 2011 Award - "Silent Witness"