Student Brings Haitian Children's Art to UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 4, 2010) - The University of Kentucky Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center is currently featuring a very special exhibit, "Art of the Children of Haiti." This timely exhibit contains pictures of the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Carrefour, Haiti; pictures of the children; and vibrant artwork from the kids. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, can be viewed through the next two weeks in the central display case at the Fine Arts Library. The exhibit will be accessible during the facility's hours of operation.

The artwork showcased in the "Art of the Children of Haiti" was brought to the university by Lauren Buswell, a UK art education junior from Dixon, Ky., after her visit to the orphanage. She spent last spring break and her summer vacation working with the children of the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Haiti.

During Haiti's devastating earthquake, the Good Shepherd Orphanage was damaged beyond repair. The 60 children of the orphanage were spared, but they are currently living out in the open on the grounds of the orphanage awaiting help. CNN has described the devastation of the orphanage and surrounding area in the article "Orphans have no food: home destroyed."

Buswell's original visit to the Haitian orphanage was part of a trip organized by the university's Wesley Foundation. UK civil engineering student and head resident of the Wesley Foundation, Chrispin Gabriel, organized the trip. Gabriel lived at the orphanage until he came to UK in 2004. He has already made a trip to Haiti to take supplies in from the Dominican Republic to the orphanage. Local audiences may have heard some of Gabriel's story on local television station WLEX. The interview with Gabriel by WLEX, can be viewed at both the orphanage Web site at www.gsohaiti.org/media.php and on WLEX's Web site at www.lex18.com/news/uk-student-hoping-to-return-to-homeland-devastated-by-earthquake/.

"UK has really been a leader in Haiti relief and the story of the UK connection to the orphanage is a nice companion to the successful Hoops for Haiti effort," said Gail Kennedy, director of Little Fine Arts Library. "We hope this exhibit will continue to bring awareness to the Haiti relief efforts."

Buswell, Gabriel and other students from UK's Wesley Foundation are planning to travel to Haiti for spring break 2010 to work on the rebuilding of the orphanage. Information is available in the exhibit's display case on how to help support the efforts of the Wesley Foundation work on behalf of the Good Shepherd Orphanage and Schools Foundation, based out of Hebron, Ky.

For more information on the "Art of the Children of Haiti" exhibit, contact the Fine Arts Library at (859) 257-2800 or falib@email.uky.edu.