Join special guest Andrew Zimmern, James Beard Award-winning host and co-creator of the Travel Channel's wildly popular "Bizarre Foods," as we celebrate Cultural Jambalaya's amazing accomplishments and learn about our exciting plans.

6:00 p.m., Thursday, October 28, 2010 at Walker Art Center, Skyline Room. Further details and ticket information coming soon.

Twin Cities' Tremendous! Entertainment and Cultural Jambalaya together have won a national Telly Award for "Windows & Mirrors," a one-of-a-kind educational DVD for teachers featuring images and narratives from across the globe. Supported by a study guide, "Windows & Mirrors" is a resource for middle and high school teachers aimed at promoting cultural understanding and acceptance through a variety of subjects, including social studies, geography, history, diversity and language.

The 31st annual Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online film and video. "Windows & Mirrors" was recognized in the Non Broadcast Educational and Cultural category with the bronze award. The DVD was produced by Tremendous! Entertainment's Executive Producer Colleen Needles and Producer Kevin May. Tremendous! Entertainment is the creator of the Travel Channel's wildly successful "Bizarre Foods" featuring Andrew Zimmern, who explores cultures around the world through the unusual foods they eat.

Cultural Jambalaya, a nonprofit that uses international photography to promote understanding and respect for all people, was founded by globe trekker Gail Shore, whose self-funded solo treks focus on people and the traditions, rituals and religions that enrich fragile cultures around the world.

"After many years of traveling the globe, particularly to more remote and lesser-known places, I began to realize that these photos and stories held the power to bring cultural understanding and acceptance to a larger audience," said Shore of Edina, Minn. "Windows & Mirrors" includes images from distant regions including Myanmar, Bhutan, Namibia, New Guinea and Tibet, among others.

In the Twin Cities alone, more than 100 languages are spoken by students in area schools. Cultural Jambalaya believes international photography can be a creative teaching tool for educators in the classroom to illustrate the diverse cultural backgrounds that continue to make up more of America's rich mosaic. To begin to break down cultural barriers, "Windows and Mirrors" asks students to admire and value each other's similarities as well as our differences. "The more we know about each other's background, history and religion, the more respectful we can become of one another," says Shore.

"Windows & Mirrors," accompanied by an online study guide available at www.CulturalJam.org, was developed to meet many Minnesota state teaching standards and includes instructional exercises relative to various global modules or themes. The study guide is designed to spark students' imagination and to encourage them to think broadly as they learn about the new cultures and individuals featured in the DVD.

Cultural Jambalaya will hold its annual event on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at the Walker Art Center. Andrew Zimmern of "Bizarre Foods" will be the featured speaker.

To announce the launch of Cultural Jambalaya's new DVD "Windows & Mirrors," Gail Shore was recently interviewed on WCCO Radio's "The Don Shelby Show." Also featured on the interview is Twin Cities Middle School teacher Claude Sigmund, who will use "Windows & Mirrors" as a teaching tool. Download and listen to the MP3 >>

Cultural Jambalaya hosted a special slide presentation and grass-roots program that benefited The Carter Center (founded by President Jimmy Carter), which is committed to advancing human rights by waging peace, fighting disease and building hope. As a result of this successful effort, Cultural Jambalaya's founder and photographer, Gail Shore, has been invited to attend President Carter's Winter Weekends, where supporters together celebrate The Carter Center's accomplishments. Cultural Jambalaya continues to work on additional programs to support this tremendous global organization.

Cultural Jambalaya also markets photography to companies and organizations to use as part of their marketing or employee programs, diversity initiatives or foundations, then we donate the proceeds of the sales of photography to a nonprofit of the company's choice. One of our proudest relationships is working with Carlson Companies, a multi-billion dollar company and one of the largest privately held corporations in the world. Together, we benefited the World Childhood Foundation, which defends the rights of vulnerable and exploited children at risk all over the world.

Among the nonprofits Cultural Jambalaya supports include: The Center for Victims of Torture, Cultural Wellness Center, Plymouth Center and the United Way (in cooperation with the National Women's Leadership Council).

For information on these initiatives and other program ideas and opportunities, please contact:

Gail Shore
Executive Director (and Photographer)
(952) 925-6102
gshore@winternet.com

Patricia Brenna
Director of Business Development
(612) 237-8681
pbrenna@bizgal.net

The latest images posted include those from Syria, Namibia, South Africa and from Myanmar (Burma).