Art & Poetry Exhibition at UNICEF

The following is a press release provided by Dreamsakes and Art in All of Us that we are excited to share:

Children from 192 Countries Present Art & Poetry Exhibition at UNICEF

To celebrate international children’s rights & their freedom of expression, a five year epic art adventure brings together children’s mini-masterpieces from around the world.

Art in All of Us (AiA) is proud to present a children’s art exhibition from November 3rd until December 31st 2009 to mark the 20th anniversary of the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child) at the DKVC Center at UNICEF headquarters in New York. Mrs. Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF will open the exhibition.

For each one of the 192 countries, the lives of children are being represented through the artwork gathered by AiA – their realities, their dreams, their ambitions, and their voices are being expressed. After five years, 192 countries, 300 schools, and the participation of 18,400 children, this representation of the world through the eyes of children is a unique project, unmatched in it’s originality and successful representation of every UN-listed nation.

“From the perspective of the young citizens represented in this exhibit, we hope to empower a global understanding between cultures, generations and individuals, which we believe will lead to building greater tolerance and cross cultural understanding, amongst children and adults,” said Anthony Asael, Executive Directof of AiA.

AiA is also proud to announce its new partnership with DreamSakes. “Like AiA, DreamSakes believes in the power of art to transform lives. Our goal is to empower parents and teachers to preserve, enjoy and share children’s artwork. We’re proud to support AiA’s exhibition with UNICEF as well as their international kids art pen pal program because sharing art can be just as important as creating it.”, said Richard L. Lieberfarb, Executive Vice President

To further promote children’s creativity and the world’s cultural diversity, AiA is concurrently launching the World Art Book. The Book is a collection of children’s varied interpretations of their own countries through art. Each of the 192 UN-member countries is presented through a single portrait of a resident, a drawing and a national poem written by a local child. Mrs. Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF honored Art in All of Us by writing the foreword of this beautiful book. In her foreword, she says that “this extraordinary book is an adventure into the creative minds of children. (…)The result is a colorful ensemble of creative pieces from around the world – from Belgium to Benin – that reflect the uniqueness of each background yet also the similarities that run through childhood.” The profits from the sale of the World Art Book, will help support AiA in their ambitious plans to grow, expand, and continue their work in educating the world’s youth through art.

About DreamSakes

DreamSakes helps parents and teachers to preserve, share and enjoy their kids’ artwork. They provide high-quality scanning, making it easy and convenient to transform mini-masterpieces into an online museum. Parents and teachers can invite others to view the galleries, and can also turn the images into keepsakes and gifts. For schools and art teachers, they have a simple fund-raising program.”  www.DreamSakes.com

About Art in All of Us

Art in All of Us (AiA) is a not-for-profit organization based in both Belgium and the United States (501(c)(3)) that promotes tolerance through artistic and cultural exchange activities around the world. Through a variety of programs, AiA inspires children and promotes tolerance and cross-cultural understanding. Backed by organizations like UNICEF, SOS Children Villages, Fundación America along with it’s vital network of volunteers, AiA’s activities have reached more than 18,400 children and 300 schools in 192 countries.