The Base Paint Tents For The Children Of Haiti 11/29-12/5/10

Fundacion Manos Del Sur and Step By Step Foundation unite under the artistic direction of artist Antuan to present an exhibition of The Base Paint Tents during the week of Art Basel Miami Beach 2010
Epic Residences on their Green located at 270 Biscayne Blvd. in Downtown Miami
Open to the public Tuesday, November 30th – Sunday, December 5th from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Private exhibition and cocktail event hosted by Epic Residences, Monday, November 29th from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM.

The Base Paint Models at FIU’s 8th Annual Breakfast in the Park event to celebrate Art Basel Miami Beach 2010
Sunday, December 5th
9:30AM – 12:00PM
FIU’s Frost Art Museum, Modesto A. Maidique Campus
Complimentary and open to the public

The Base Paint Tents exhibited at FIU during various events to commemorate the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti
Monday, January 10 – Saturday, January 15, 2011
FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus

The Base Paint Tents is a project of ten tents being transformed into ten works of art by artists from around the world. The tents will ultimately function as multi-purpose classrooms in earthquake-ravaged Haiti for the children of Atlet Peyi Dayiti in Port-au-Prince. At almost a year after the devastating earthquake, this exhibition is a call for attention to the reality of a country that tries to carry on with life as usual, still amid ruins and tent towns.

There are important interview, coverage, and photo opportunities around the corner that may interest you for any stories you’re working on for the week of Art Basel:

The painting of the tents is currently taking place at Iron Side, a multi-purpose warehouse in Little Haiti (in Miami’s newly named Industrial Business District) located at 7600 Northeast 4th Court, Miami, FL 33138.

· Antuan, Artistic Director & Curator of The Base Paint Tents (www.antuanstudio.com)
· Paulina Montes, Executive Director of Fundación Manos Del Sur (www.manosdelsur.org)
· Iliana Levy, Program & Outreach Director of Step by Step Foundation (www.stepbystepfoundation.com)

The tents will ultimately function as multi-purpose classrooms in earthquake-ravaged Haiti on the property of a foundation called L’Athletique d’Haiti. They will function as shelters where more than three hundred children are able to receive education in a positive and safe environment.

The project was conceived as a collaboration of international artists and nonprofit organizations to support the reconstruction of education in Haiti through art. The distinctive elements include creation and exhibition of the tents at a series of locations and then finally setting-up the finished tents in Haiti.

The tents are 20x15x13 feet and were custom made by Armbruster Company, America’s oldest tentmaker. The paint and material for the tents were carefully chosen as they must be able to withstand the extreme weather of Haiti. The tent layout, personally designed by Antuan, is specifically constructed in order to allow for maximum durability, water and wind resistance, paintability, security, and ventilation. The painted exteriors of the tents will brighten the interior of the classrooms when the sun shines through. The tents will dually function as an art installation and iconic representation of educational progress for children in Haiti, as they will be visible flying to and from the international airport.

An international group of artists from across the Caribbean and Latin America have gathered in order to collaborate and create the tents; the artists, using the tents as their canvases will communicate their interpretations and perspectives of Haiti’s political, social, and environmental history.

The twelve international artists come from seven different countries: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the USA. Their artwork conveys a strong narrative about Haiti’s current challenges and explores different themes, such as the history of Haiti, its economy, folklore, religious beliefs, traditions, ecology, recreation, and the environment. The artists are: Antuan and Elba Luis Lugo, Pedro Barbeito, Jose Bedia, Edouard Duval-Carrie, Jose Garcia Cordero, Nicolas Leiva, Leonel Matheu, Ruben Millares and Antonia Wright, Gean Moreno, and Damian Sarno,.

The project’s art exhibit is also a fundraising event. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in the project by giving donations at different levels of sponsorship. The higher level will sponsor each complete tent and other levels will assist in arranging the tents with school items such as desks, chairs, supplies, and more. For more information please contact Paulina Montes at Paulina.Montes@manosdelsur.org or 305.860.6529.

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