Bread Roses

Tenth Annual Sudha Sale to Benefit Bread & Roses, Angel Island Conservancy and Gateway Public Schools

courtesy of Marian @ Bread & Roses

October 22, 2013 – . The Tenth Annual Benefit Sale “Sudha’s Treasures” will take place Saturday – Sunday November 9 – 10, and 16 – 17 from 10 am to 6 pm at Strawberry Village Shopping Center in Mill Valley.  The sale features unique hand-crafted items from the collection of acclaimed designer Sudha Pennathur who is generously donating her works to benefit three nonprofits: Bread & Roses, Angel Island Conservancy and Gateway Public Schools.   Bay Area television celebrity Doug McConnell will kick-off the two-weekend sale at a Friends & Family reception on Friday, November 8 from 5-8:30pm.  For more info, visit www.pennathur.com.

McConnell, star and producer of “OpenRoad,” is best known for his long-running series “Bay Area Backroads.”  At the preview reception, he will talk about Ms. Pennathur’s work in India where she travels each year to sponsor and mentor a select group of master craftspeople to create her distinctive line of jewelry, scarves, decorative objects, Christmas ornaments and other gift items.  Her works are featured in prestigious stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue, and in the National Geographic Society and the Art Institute of Chicago.

“Every year the Sudha sale benefits the craftspeople of India as well as Bread & Roses which brings live music to isolated people in the Bay Area,” said Cassandra Flipper Executive Director of Bread & Roses.  “We are grateful for Sudha’s incredible commitment to people globally and locally.”

Angel Island Conservancy is thrilled to be a beneficiary of the Sudha Sale for three years,” said Gail Dolton, Board President of the Conservancy.  “The funds donated will be put to good use as we continue our efforts to create an awe-inspiring visitor experience on Angel Island State Park.”

The Sudha Sale will feature wholesale prices for shoppers.  Hours are:  Friday, November 8 from 5pm – 8:30 pm; Saturdays & Sundays November 9 & 10, and 16 & 17 from 10am-6pm at  # 124 Strawberry Village Shopping Center in Mill Valley, next to La Boulange.

Bread & Roses, based in Corte Madera, brings hope and healing through live music to isolated audiences around the Bay Area.  www.breadandroses.org Angel Island Conservancy works in partnership with Angel Island State Park to raise funds and develop programs. www.angelisland.org  Gateway Public Schools provide a gateway to college for all students through a public charter high school and middle school in San Francisco. www.gatewaypublicschools.org For additional information about Sudha’s designs and work in India, visit http://pennathur.com.

Tenth Annual Sudha Sale to Benefit Bread & Roses, Angel Island Conservancy and Gateway Public Schools Read More »

10th Annual Sudha Sale

The Annual Sudha Sale Benefit is slated for 2 weekends – November 9, 10 and again on 16th and 17th  at Strawberry Village in Marin County.

IMG_1199

This being the 10th year, we have expanded our charities to 4 nonprofit institutions. Bread & Roses where we started the concept of giving though selling my collections of jewelry and textiles 10 years ago, has taken a life of its own. Through the commitment of innumerable volunteers, donors and friends we have raised substantial amounts of money. The pop up store which is normally  for 2 weeks, gets donated by individuals or shopping centers and whatever the House of Pennathur sells of its merchandise at retail during this time is  donated to chosen nonprofit institutions that impact our communities.

I don’t need to tell you the far reaching impact of the work Bread & Roses does to uplift people isolated from society by bringing hope and healing through live professionalentertainment.  Our gift to them furthers their mission and supports some of the 600 shows they perform each year.

Angel Island Conservancy works in partnership with Angel Island State Park to raise funds to offer  Scholarship Programs, funding visits for under-served students or implementing an Interpretation Master Plan to elevate Angel Island to a Bay Area must-see destination.

Gateway Public Schools – This year we chose this institution as a beneficiary of the Sudha Sale, not only because its Principal Sharon Olken has positively impacted WPO where I am a member, but also has told a compelling story of the remarkable work that they are doing with students to prepare them for their future. We believe that through education we can impact the youth in this school to fulfill and change their lives for the better and prepare them for college.

Lastly, we have included The Friendship Club as a beneficiary. Juliet Erikson who taught us  the “Art of Persuasion”, made a strong pitch to help this institution that engages, educates and empowers girls at risk in Nevada County.

I hope to see you all at the opening at Strawberry Village in Mill Valley, right off the freeway at the Tiburon Blvd exit on 101.

10th Annual Sudha Sale Read More »

Art to Heart: Bread & Roses’ 2013 Spring Benefit – Bread And Roses

Art to Heart: Bread & Roses’ 2013 Spring Benefit
Posted by: mhubler on May 29, 2013
Tagged in: Tim Hockenberry , The Jazz Cats , special event , non-profit , Michael Pritchard , live music , Julia Morgan Ballroom , Healing Power of Live Music , fundraising , Founder’s Circle , community support , benefit , Audrey Auld , Art to Heart
Bread & Roses held its “Art to Heart” fundraising event/concert on April 23. Thanks to everybody who helped make it a big success! Our wonderful emcee Michael Pritchard reminded the attendees about why it is important to support Bread & Roses’ mission and about how live music makes a huge impact on those who are isolated.
Cassandra Flipper awarded Sudha Pennathur the first “Labor of Love” award, in recognition of twelve years of extraordinary generosity and devotion to Bread & Roses’ mission. Renowned designer, successful businesswoman, tireless community contributor, gifted amateur photographer, and former Board Chair, Sudha started volunteering her services in 2001, spent six years on the Board of Directors, and has put on an annual benefit, “The Sudha Sale”, with proceeds donated to Bread & Roses, since 2003….

READ MORE: via Art to Heart: Bread & Roses’ 2013 Spring Benefit – Bread And Roses.

Art to Heart: Bread & Roses’ 2013 Spring Benefit – Bread And Roses Read More »

The Ark

Sudha in the new edition of The Ark (click here)
7th Annual Sudha Sale For Bread & Roses And The Redwoods
Take advantage of the generosity of Tiburon philanthropist and internationally renowned designer, Sudha Pennathur, who annually offers her collection to benefit two worthy causes, Bread & Roses, a nonprofit that provides live music to isolated audiences, and The Redwoods, a local elder community. Sudha’s jewelry, scarves, holiday ornaments, decorative objects and one-of-a-kind gifts, normally sold at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, museum stores, and Sundance and National Geographic catalogs, are offered at 50 to 70 percent below retail. Stop by from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, November 6, and Sunday, November 7, 23 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley. Info:www.pennathur.com

The Ark Read More »

Seventh Annual Sudha Sale to Benefit Bread & Roses and The Redwoods

Launching the Seventh Annual Sudha Sale this year has been a special labor of love. I am grateful to Harriet and Tom Kostic for donating their prime retail property in down town Mill Valley for the Sudha Sale this year. Amidst all the production we encountered the worst monsoons in 50 years and riots in Kashmir that brought the state to a total stop. Rivers overflowed under flood conditions and artisans had to flee their homes. We could not get goods out of the country for several weeks. Through the diligence of my staff and a lot of hard work by the artisans we were able to complete production for our customers and managed to stock the Sudha Store with precious merchandise. This has provided much needed employment to the displaced artisans.
People often ask me what percent of the proceeds goes to the non- profits. I am happy to say that for the last 7 years I have been able to donate a 100% of the sales shared equally between The Redwoods and Bread & Roses in the USA and the artisans in India. I will also personally bear much of the expenses of bringing the products to the US.

What I love best about this sale is I can personally help customers pick the right piece of jewelry or scarf and give them fashion advise on what looks good and how things are made. This is the only opportunity for me to interact with the final consumer since I sell directly only to high end retailers.
Once again I will be able to offer beautiful master crafted jewelry, scarves, Christmas ornaments and gifts for the holidays at 50 to 75% off retail. Prices range from many items at a dollar to some at several hundred!
The Sudha Store brings together my products from the world of the artisan to the supporters of these two wonderful Marin non profits! Seeing this pairing has created a compelling reason for me to carry on this tradition. It allows philanthropy and marketing philosophy to merge for a couple of weekends every year. In addition customers can get a sample of what is offered from my collection at such stores as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Museum stores and catalogs across the country.
This year TV personality of the famed “Bay Area Back Roads” and a good friend, Doug McConnell has graciously agreed to host the auction at the Sudha Sale. As always through their generous support, Peter Merts will capture the sale through his lens and Gary Morgret will transform a bare building to a beautiful and glamorous store!
I am grateful to the two executive directors Cassandra Flipper of Bread & Roses and Barbara Solomon of the Redwoods who tirelessly scouted for retail space and organized the volunteers to make the sale come alive. Also Jim Prigoff, Barr Hibbs, Ed Messerly and Craig Potter who put in their time to make this sale a success over the last 7 years, the Board of the two organizations (past and present) and the many volunteers who give their time joyfully to make this a roaring success! What started as a small sale at a home of a friend, the Wolfe’s, to benefit Bread & Roses seven years ago, has taken a life of its own.
In addition to the Sudha Store at 23 Throckmortin in Mill Valley for the weekends of November 6-7 and 13-14, we will also launch a web store with a few special items for our east coast and other friends who can’t make it to the store.

Seventh Annual Sudha Sale to Benefit Bread & Roses and The Redwoods Read More »

Special Thanks

A special thanks goes to Stan Hoffman for believing in our cause and donating the prime corner real estate location for our store in the Corte Madera Town Center. Through their leadership and example, my dear friends, executive directors Cassandra Flipper of “Bread & Roses” and Barbara Solomon of “The Redwoods,” proved that any goal is possible when you believe in it and work hard enough. Thank you all for your love, support and generosity in making this annual Sudha Benefit sale a huge success.


Thanks to Peter Merts for the use of his pictures

Special Thanks Read More »

Sudha Benefit Sale

I am gearing up for our 7th Annual Sudha Sale to benefit Bread & Roses, but this year the sale will also be for the benefit of The Redwoods. Please see the media release below:

Sudha Sale to Benefit Bread & Roses and The Redwoods, Sudha Pennathur, a celebrated international designer, brings us the Seventh Annual Sale to benefit Bread & Roses and The Redwoods. The store located at The Corte Madera Town Center will open for 2 weekends – November 7, & 8th and November 14th and 15th.
Sudha a long time friend of Bread & Roses is known for her original designs under the name of House of Pennathur, which she founded 24 years ago after a successful career at Levi Strauss & Co and other corporations.
Born in India she shocked the business community by trading in her six-figure salary to follow a dream to design and produce jewelry and scarves by reviving the arts of India.
Sudha has helped revive crafts, some of which were nearing extinction. Working with award winning artisans and hundreds of craftspeople in India, she uses materials available from nature and fabricates intricate jewelry, hand embroidered jeweled ornaments, or uniquely woven scarves, each a work of art and a keepsake that combines form and function.
Eco sensitive, her fabrics are often vegetable dyed, hand printed, and made with antique recycled materials to give it that unique flair. Her unique interpretation reflecting her distinct and rich cultural heritage enables her to adapt these pieces to the contemporary American woman.

She has employed thousands of artisans to produce her collections for prestigious stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, and museum stores such as The Smithsonian, The Art Institute of Chicago The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Her creations can also be found in catalogs and online sites for National Geographic and Sundance and. Her collections give her a distinctive presence as she sells more than 1200 styles of jewelry, textiles, accessories and ornaments in some of America’s most famous retail institutions among others.

A rebel with a cause, Pennathur is committed to running a sustainable business, both with the use of artisans to revive crafts in her native India and in the community she lives. Sudha stepped forward seven years ago to help raise funds for Bread & Roses by opening a store for one weekend a year. This year another Marin nonprofit, The Redwoods, will also benefit from the sale. A labor of love, 100% of the proceeds are distributed to the non profits and the artisans who produced them.

The Corte Madera location will provide Marinites and friends from San Francisco & elsewhere around the Bay a chance to purchase these unique gifts, as seen in major museum shops and specialty stores around the country at prices at wholesale prices or below. You will be delighted in her treasures from exotic India.

The Benefit Sale has something for every budget starting from a $1 gift item to for a one of kind $800 necklace. Each piece, regardless of the cost, is a work of art…perfectly wrought……crafted by hand, to delight a connoisseur’s heart.
Sudha Pennathur, Bread & Roses, and The Redwoods are examples of how concerned private sector individuals are taking positive action to offset the ravages of a down economy.

Sudha Benefit Sale Read More »

Scroll to Top