Columbus, OH
Global Gallery's International Dinner set for May 6
Community event mixes culture and cuisine to commemorate Fair Trade Day
By Karen Edwards
Nothing brings a community together like food - and that's precisely the point behind Global Gallery's 2nd International Dinner, to be held Thursday, May 6 at its showroom at 682 N. High Street.
According to Global Gallery director, Barbara Logan, the dinner has a two-fold purpose.
First, it commemorates Fair Trade Day.
"Fair trade places people before profits, and ensures that artisans and producers are paid living wages," says Logan. If you've been to either of Global Gallery's locations (in the Short North or at Easton), then you know the gallery only shows and sells fair trade items.
Last year, Logan, and a group of volunteers decided to commemorate the day with an international dinner, and the May event turned into a very successful evening.
"We didn't do a lot of publicity on it," says Logan, "but we sent word out to our network of supporters, and probably a couple hundred people attended," she says.
And that brings us to the dinner's second purpose.
"We wanted the dinner to be a real community event," says Logan. "We wanted to bring the community together."
Because Global Gallery is a volunteer-run organization, and because its volunteers come from an array of countries and continents, "community" in this case can mean everything from nearby neighborhoods to countries as far-flung as Tibet.
Last year, more than a dozen Global Gallery volunteers made traditional dishes from their native homelands, and Short North restaurants kicked in some international dishes of their own.
"We had food from Tibet, India, Africa, Russia, France, Italy, Japan, and several other countries," says Logan. Some of the dishes were appetizers, but more of them were entrées, "and we had a huge array of desserts," notes Logan.
She's expecting a similar variety of native dishes at this year's dinner.
If you decide to come, you will be asked to make a $5 contribution (tickets may also be purchased in advance), and you'll be given a plate. Food is set up around the gallery itself, and you move among the various "food stations," tasting and mingling with others from all over the neighborhood - and from all over the world. The food is carefully labeled and described so you don't have to guess where it's from or what's in it. And you needn't worry about the ingredients being too exotic. This isn't a "Survivor" food challenge.
Like any open house, guests may come anytime between 6 and 9 pm - but, based on last year's experience, Logan is advising this year's would-be diners to arrive early for best selection.
"I heard several people last year saying they wish they had been here for the sushi and the California spring rolls," she says. "They went quickly."
Live music with an international flavor added to last year's atmosphere, and Loganis hoping this year's event will feature live music as well.
And don't forget the art. Global Gallery is now presenting special events and exhibits in its showroom every month, and during May, a photo exhibit, paralleling the Columbus Museum of Art's "Circle of Bliss" exhibit, will be on view.
Logan is quick to credit the gallery's volunteers for not only pulling off dinner for 200 or more guests, but also for the day-to-day running of the gallery itself.
"We are very much a volunteer-run organization," says Logan. "Without the volunteers, Global Gallery wouldn't exist."
For tickets to the Global Gallery 2nd International Dinner, stop by the gallery, 682 N. High St. Suggested donation is $5. Tickets will also be available at the door on May 6. Call 621-1744 for more info.