Monday, October 8, 2012

Little Lotus Project For Burmese Refugees

Local artists including Askew, Misery, Flox and Meghan Geliza are exhibiting art in Wellington's National Portrait Gallery 12-18 October for refugee Burmese children in poverty, to be auctioned online...
"A few months back, I was flown by the NZ charity Spinning Top to the border of Thailand and Burma, alongside 13 Kiwi and US artists, to help refugee children through art, called the Little Lotus Project, which included NZ volunteers Jon Drypnz, Cleo Barnett and organiser Pat Shepherd among others. We painted murals and taught art classes to these schools" says Meghan Geliza.
All proceeds on art sold will go to these Burmese refugee kids.




Happening next week at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery (Shed 11) in Wellington on October 12 - 18, Spinning Top's Little Lotus Exhibition 2012 will showcase work prompted by the Little Lotus Project, which saw 13 international artists from the US, Singapore and NZ flying to the border of Thailand and Burma to help refugee Burmese children through art.
The artists painted murals and taught art classes to these kids, who work at the nearby rubbish dump, or had been orphaned by AIDS or rescued from trafficking.
Auckland-based artist Meghan Geliza recently finished a 1.2 x 1.2 metre piece, which is inspired by a Burmese kid whom she met on the project. Around 30 artists have contributed to the exhibit, including Askew, Misery, Peap, Flox, and Sofia Minson. Artists who took part in the 2011 project and will be part of the exhibit include international artists Sheryo, The Yok, Drypnz, Angry Woebots, Meghan Geliza and J-Rryu.
The Little Lotus Project documentary and EP will also be released as well as photography from the project by Pat Shepherd, Cleo Barnett and James Bushell, and drawings by Burmese and Kiwi kids. All proceeds will go to the ongoing welfare of these refugee children.
There is an online auction starting 12th October via Trademe via this link http://www.littlelotusproject.org/art/ The art will be available to view from the 8th of October on this link, and the Trademe link to the items will be there too.
Below: the mural for Live Below the Line.
Apart from Little Lotus, Geliza also recently wrapped up a 40ft shipping container mural for another not-for-profit campaign, Live Below the Line, an endeavour which prompted 1400 Kiwis to live on $2.25 a day for five days, raising approximately $400k to help alleviate extreme poverty.

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