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UNODC
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Artists Ross Bleckner & Tony Romano present, "WELCOME TO GULU"

"Welcome to Gulu" was a unique art event benefiting and raising monies for children in Uganda. For years, these children were subjected to the horrors of rape, human trafficking and child soldiering. The idea of helping these children through art therapy came about when renowned artist and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Ross Bleckner spent time in Uganda to teach the children to create their own paintings, yielding extraordinary results. The 200 plus paintings were for sale and display at the UN in New York this past May 19, 2009 at the first ever "WELCOME TO GULU" exhibit. Proceeds from the sales of the paintings go to helping the Ugandan children.

By special invitation, I attended the event. I was so moved by viewing the paintings that the UN Project Director, Simone Monasebian, asked me if St. Thomas would be interested in hosting this same show. The US Virgin Islands has long standing ties to Africa and has recently developed a relationship with Rwanda through the First Lady, Cecile deJongh's "Project Rwanda". Governor and First Lady deJongh offered to host the art show at a cocktail reception at Estate Catharineberg on Saturday, December 12, 2009. Paul Horovitz, Head of Antilles School, Dee Baecher-Brown, President of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands and Joan Amerling, Community Liaison at Antilles School and Executive Director of the Forum all assisted to make this event a success. - Tony Romano

Image: 
BLACK TIE MAGAZINE ARTICLE

PRESS RELEASE


On Saturday, December 12, 2009, "Welcome to Gulu", an art exhibit presented and curated by local artist and restaurateur, Tony Romano on behalf of the U.N.O.D.C. (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), U.N. Good Will Ambassador, Ross Bleckner was unveiled at Governor John P. deJongh Jr.'s Catherineberg mansion. The unprecedented event which was hosted by Gov. deJongh and his wife, First Lady Cecile deJongh came about when Tony Romano, who attended the initial "Welcome to Gulu" event at the United Nations in New York on May 12, 2009 was asked by UN officials if he thought the Virgin Islands would be interested in hosting the same event on St.Thomas. The evening of December 12, 2009 was the first time a U.N. Flag has ever flown outside of an official United Nations base station and also the Virgin Islands. The fundraiser featured 150 paintings done by the Ugandan Children as part of the art therapy program. The inspiration for the art rehabilitation program was described by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his opening remarks at the New York event, "Two years ago, my wife opened another exhibition sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime here at UN Headquarters called "Human Trafficking: Images of Vulnerability." She decried the trade in people, and she said, "Thanks to this exhibit, it is staring us in the face." Then she called for action. "Let us not just look at these pictures and walk away," she said. "Let us be moved to act." There was a renowned artist in the audience that day who took those words to heart. His name is Ross Bleckner, and we see today the results of his passionate activism. That "passionate activism" led Mr.Bleckner to Uganda where he conducted a week long art therapy program for kids who had never held a paint brush before. These children were abducted from their families and conscripted into the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel army in northern Uganda, as child soldiers or sex slaves and the resulting images are both haunting and hopeful. That hopefulness shined through in St.Thomas as visiting celebrities, local dignitaries and philanthropists gathered together and raised a net donation sum of more than $37,600.00.  These funds go directly to benefit the kids with on going education and rehabilitation of these child soldiers and abducted girls.


By:

Julia Watthey

Assistant Director of Communications

Officer of the Governor

St. Thomas, VI




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Chef Tony Romano - tr@tonyromano.net - (cell) 340.344.4450