The Moon and Stars Project was founded in 2002 in New York. It is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to highlighting the changing face of Turkish arts and culture and establishing a two-way cultural interaction between the United States and Turkey. Growing out of MayFest, a month-long festival first started in May 1999, the Moon and Stars Project is now an organization that presents year-round programs. Our initiatives have drawn an outpouring of support from the community, both in the United States and in Turkey, and from local and international organizations. Each year we have grown as an organization and initiated more ambitious programs and events. What started out as a little festival has come a long way.

There are times when current events and the headlines of our day make us question what we are doing, what our goals are, and how we can make the world a better place, even if that means by taking tiny little steps that often seem insignificant. As our mission statement declares, we are devoted as an institution to promoting greater cultural interaction between the United States and Turkey, and dedicated to fostering mutual tolerance, understanding, and respect between different nations, cultures, and religions. With all that is going on in the world, we hope you will agree that this mission is more important than ever.

We would like to think of our programs, which incorporate the visual arts, theater, film, traditional and contemporary music, project sponsorships and grants, as baby steps - but important ones at that -that reminds us of the importance of the arts since we can only begin to understand one another through artistic expression. The stories we heard growing up, songs and compositions that bridge musical and cultural worlds, films that explore themes surrounding human experiences, dramas, and emotions, and artists that hold a mirror up to society all comment on this crazy, wonderful world we live in. It is this type of artistic expression that sets the Moon and Stars Project apart. And it is through such expression that others can begin to understand us, and perhaps we, ourselves.

Although the Moon and Stars Project has achieved enormous success in a short time, our dreams and ambitions continue to grow. There is so much more we know we can accomplish together. Please consider supporting our organization, whether it is through a contribution or by volunteering your time. We have also launched a membership program that not only rewards our members through special discounts and free passes, but also helps make Turkey a little greener through our collaboration with TEMA, a not-for-profit organization combating soil erosion through reforestation efforts. We hope you will consider making a membership gift.

Although we mention our dreams and ambitions quite a bit, it is only because without them the Moon and Stars Project could never have grown into what it is today: a dynamic organization staffed entirely by volunteers, which manages quite a bit with quite a little. This year, these dreams, and our talented staff and volunteers will make possible many fabulous programs. Please join us.