Press Release: contact person Judith Wray (732) 254-7611
valweb@valweb.org
What: "MARIA'S CHILDREN" International: Russian Orphan Art Exhibit
Where: Comes to the East Brunswick Municipal Building
When: May 1-May 30, 2003
Time: 9am- 5pm Mon- through Fri.
Forgotten Children of the World Paint Their Dreams
Swirling color and joy characterize the unique art of a group of 250
children from Moscow, Russia. They are children from several cerebral palsy
schools and orphans labeled mentally defective. Maria's Children, Moscow
( www.mariaschildren.org) is a project that works with the medium of art to
access the creative potential of the children, thus allowing them to
experience their uniqueness and self-worth. The founder of the project,
Maria Yeliseyeva, asks each child to paint their dreams.
The result is art that can best be characterized as "Grandma Moses meets Chagal."
Once the children are in the project, they are provided life skills to help
them survive in their culture. The average life-span of a Russian orphan,
without intervention, is 25 years. In addition, the children learn the
ideals of service to others, and are busy doing service in a variety of ways
in Moscow. In this way they come to understand the power of one person, no
matter their circumstances, to make a positive change in the world.
Maria's Children International is a Minneapolis, MN based 501c3 nonprofit
foundation (www.mariaschildren.com), founded by Jan Thatcher Adams, MD. It
is a funding organization, and supports the operating budget of its projects
in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Haiti. It is entirely volunteer staffed, so
that a high proportion of its funds go directly to its projects. Maria's
Children International is dedicated to lifting up the forgotten children of
the world through its projects, and plans on expanding as funds allow.
Presently there are nearly 400 children in its projects.
Sponsored by HARTS & VAL
(The Healing Arts Club of UMDNJ-RWJMS)
(Visual Arts League)
Thinking globally, working locally!
