This is about an upstanding young man named Thomas Sengeh, from Sierra Leone, West Africa. He’s a FaceBook friend of mine. And now he’s an African Ambassador to For Love & Art.
About 4 months ago, Thomas dropped me a line proclaiming he really got what For Love & Art was all about, and vowed to bring an ArtBook to the Lungi Government Hospital in his hometown. Now the average income of residents in Sierra Leone is $830/year, and to endow a hospital with an ArtBook costs $400 (soon to be $500). After months of effort, Thomas scraped together $140 and we proudly produced his ArtBook as an acknowledgement of his big heart and as a contribution to his people. His ArtBook is inscribed “In Honor of Miss Billie;” it’s funny how Miss Billie is still making her way around the world even though it’s been half-a-year when she passed from us.
Jerry Brunton and I visited the Embassy of Sierra Leone on December 2, 2011 during our trip to our nation’s capital. Neither of us have ever been to Africa before, and it’s quite an exciting trip, those few seconds crossing over a threshold and into another country!
We were graciously received by a diplomat of the country, who met with us for nearly an hour and arranged a reception in Dallas with Sierra Leone expatriates. While we were in the stately conference room, I took a picture of an ArtBook opened on the fireplace mantel. Only after I got it home and blew it up did I realize that, apparently, the motto of the Country of Sierra Leone is “All We Want Is Make Us Free.”
Could that not be a common prayer of mankind? And does art have the power to release – even if just for a little while – the viewer into a world of beauty, joy, and magic of life?
I could tell you about our trip “Out of Africa,” but that’s a different story. I do want to say, however, that on the way out, a wonderful citizen of Sierra Leone posed with an ArtBook in front of her embassy’s brass plaque.
We are delighted to send Monet – and the art experience – to communities anywhere in the world.
Where would you like to send an ArtBook today?
I notice I was not able to pull up Thomas’ photograph. I will add it to this post later.