Age: 22
Home Town: Narragansett, RI
Education: BA, Asian Studies & Studio Art, Colgate University
Specific Field Interests: Social Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods, Artisan Communities, Regional Identities, Nationalism
Placement: Khamir (Bhuj, Gujarat)
Area of Focus: Livelihood

Highlights: Coco comes to the AIF Fellowship with a passion for art, visual culture, and artisan craft as means for creating sustainable livelihoods. Coco became interested in India after spending a summer volunteering at a K-12 school in Pali, Rajasthan at age 15. She went on to earn a BA in Asian Studies with High Honors from Colgate University. As an undergraduate, Coco completed field work in Northern India through NYSICCSI, collecting miracle stories from Shirdi and Sathya Sai Baba devotees. North India ignited her appreciation of artisan communities and fair trade movements in rural India. Coco further explored India's visual culture in her senior thesis on the role prints depicting Bharat Mata before 1947 played in the evolution of Indian national identity. A two time Upstate Institute Fellow, Coco brought her aptitude for field work and marketing experience to Upstate New York, where she completed community outreach projects for cultural preservation and art initiatives in the Adirondacks, Utica, and Madison County. As an undergraduate she was a student ambassador for Colgate's Multicultural Center and President of Masque & Triangle, Colgate's student theater. After graduating, Coco was a US Department of State Critical Language Scholar in Jaipur where she continued her study of Hindi at the American Institute for Indian Studies. Coco looks forward to working for Khamir this year, where she will learn more about artisans and art practices in Gujarat.

Posts by danavonnegut

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The Evolution of an AIF Clinton Fellow

Evolution of a Fellow – And Introduction to the William J. Clinton Fellowship Journey from […]

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5 Tips for Beginner Nonprofit Storytellers

Between co-curating an exhibition, writing a book, and blogging for my NGO, producing written, creative […]

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Ask Someone for Their Story

 Me and Musabhai in Ajrakhpur Storytelling is the latest trend. Bodies of people from corporate […]

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Remembering the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake

Remains of Jubilee Hospital, September 2013   Legend says that beneath the ground in Bhuj, […]

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Seeing Kachchh

I was warned by so many people that Kachchh, the region of India I have been […]

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From the Hands of Others

Sitting in the workshop of a block printer is a musical experience. The tap-tap-tap and […]

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“Lucky for Kachchh”

Discovering the positive side of monsoon season in Bhuj, Kachchh, Gujarat.    Every story should […]

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