WIF Founder & CEO Dr. Monique Y. Wells Delivered Commencement Address at the Paris College of Art

PARIS - June 8, 2024 - PRLog -- On May 10, 2024, WIF Founder & CEO Dr. Monique Y. Wells delivered the address for the Paris College of Art (PCA) undergraduate commencement ceremony, which was held at the Club d'Etoile near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris's 8th arrondissement.

PCA is an international college of art and design located in the 10th arrondissement in Paris. It offers American undergraduate and graduate degrees (Bachelor of Fine Arts [BFA], Master of Arts [MA] and Master of Fine Arts [MFA]) in Communication Design, Photography, Fine Arts, Interior Design and Fashion. The Global BFA in Film Art is administered in collaboration with Emerson College.  The student body represents 51 different countries, and a similar number of cultures.

Dr. Wells was called upon by PCA to deliver the address because of her championing of the legacy of painter Beauford Delaney, in addition to the entrepreneurial spirit that led to the creation of her for-profit business, Entrée to Black Paris, as well as the U.S.-based nonprofit organization, the Wells International Foundation (WIF).

"I was honored to accept this invitation and delighted to base my speech on various aspects of Beauford's life and art," Dr. Wells said. "Through the evocation of events and relationships that Beauford experienced, I encouraged the graduates to create and use their art as a source of healing, a means of bridging cultural gaps, a catalyst for social change, and a unifying force in the face of negative preconceived notions and emotions."

"I think Dr. Wells is a wealth of knowledge," said Alana Manga, Registrar and Director of Student Success at PCA. "Her insights would be valued by the graduating artists and designers encountering a world grappling with war."

Read how the day unfolded for 40 graduates, their families and friends, and PCA and Emerson College educators in an article Dr. Wells wrote for the Les Amis de Beauford Delaney blog ("Beauford at the Paris College of Art Commencement Ceremony" - published on May 11, 2024 at lesamisdebeauforddelaney.blogspot.com/2024/05/beauford-at-paris-college-of-art.html).

Watch a segment of her address here: https://bit.ly/PCA-commencement.

Congratulations to Dr. Wells for such a great honor and for continuing to be the consummate steward of all that WIF represents.

About the Wells International Foundation

The Wells International Foundation (WIF) is a U.S. non-profit organization whose mission is to empower women and persons of African descent to realize their highest potential through arts, literacy, study abroad, and other educational and cultural programs.  We are building a network of global citizens who embrace inclusiveness and foster a spirit of cooperation throughout the world.

To learn more about WIF, visit https://wellsinternationalfoundation.org.