In the Fall of 2014, Marie Danielle Leblanc embarked upon world travels which took her on a two month journey to Nepal. Our exhibit, planned months in advance, opened on April 25, the day of devastating earthquake hit. In light of this, a portion of all gallery sales from this exhibit will be donated to relief efforts in Nepal through AmeriCares, Charity: Water and Empowering Women of Nepal.
By mid November, Marie was trekking in the Annapurna Sanctuary and several days later thru Thorong La, the passageway over 17,769 feet above sea level.
During her trip to the Himalayan Region, which is the Sanskrit term for “abode of the snow” (hima (snow) + laya (dwelling)), she was captivated and inspired by the beauty and the spirituality.
She captured some of her thoughts and reflections, including these:
I am in the Himalayan mountains there is no word strong enough to describe so much beauty…This morning, the view was stunning over the white cap snow mountains, pure joy to look at this scene…Here in the mountains, I lost track of the date, day and even the month, first time in my life.
It is believed that high deities of Hinduism, Buddhism, and ancient shamanistic traditions call this remarkable place home.
This solo exhibit of, A Trek Across Nepal, is inspired by these travels.
Join us for a Special Relief Effort Reception and Fundraiser: Saturday, May 16 from 4-6pm
For Marie, the beauty of her landscapes comes mostly from a spontaneous gesture and a certain attraction to danger. She convinces her viewers to see more than what appears in the painting. She transforms places and even the highest mountains in the world, into a space that transport the viewers into timeless and imaginary landscapes. The exhibit will include her impressions of Annapurna and Annapurna base camp, Kot Danda (located in North-western Nepal, part of the mugu district), Pothana (in the Western region) and Jhindu Danda (known for its steep hills and close proximity to Hot Springs. Her paintings also capture the beauty and vividness of the Rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal.
What: A Trek Across Nepal, solo exhibit of Canadian artist Marie Danielle Leblanc
When: April 25 – July 31, 2015
Special Events: Special Relief Effort Reception and Fundraiser: Saturday, May 16 from 4-6pm
Ongoing: A portion of all exhibit sales will be donated to Nepal Relief effort
Where: Elisa Contemporary Art, 5622 Mosholu Avenue, Riverdale NY
Hours: Saturday 11am – 5:00pm; and by appointment (Weekdays, Evenings, Sundays)
A portion of all gallery sales is donated to charities helping underserved children heal through art. We support Free Arts NYC and Art Therapy Outreach Center.
In light of the recent earthquake in Nepal, a portion of all the gallery sales from this exhibit will be donated to relief Nepal efforts: AmeriCares and Charity: Water as well as Empowering Women of Nepal.
We were thrilled to share the exhibit on "Open with Rhina Valentin". Here's a look.
For exhibit catalog, click here.
Nepal Special Relief Effort Reception and Fundraiser:
Join Elisa Contemporary Art and Marie Danielle Leblanc on Saturday, May 16th as we continue to raise money for the relief efforts in Nepal. Stop by to donate a dollar or more, and a portion of every gallery sale from this exhibit will be donated to AmeriCares, which leverages every dollar donated to deliver $20 of aid and Charity: Water, which donates a 100% to relief and rehabilitation efforts. 100% of the sale Marie Danielle Leblanc’s Annoncion 1 and 2 will be donated as well.
According to AmeriCares:
“An AmeriCares emergency team has arrived in Kathmandu, responding within 48 hours to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Nepal, caused buildings to collapse, set off avalanches on Mount Everest and catapulted the entire region into chaos. The team has brought initial supplies of medicines to treat injured and ill survivors and will be coordinating relief efforts with interagency groups and government authorities. ….Earthquakes survivors in Nepal are at risk for many health problems, says AmeriCares Medical Officer Dr. Julie Varughese. Immediately, thousands of survivors will need medical treatment for cuts, lacerations, crush injuries and broken bones due to collapsing buildings and falling debris. In the following days and weeks, survivors may suffer from wound infections and respiratory problems from inhaling dust. If water supplies are disrupted, as some reports in Nepal indicate, survivors can become ill from drinking unclean water.”
According to Charity: Water:
“100% of your donation to Nepal will go to relief and rehabilitation efforts on the ground. All charity: water operating costs are covered by a small group of private donors…First, funds for Nepal will go to help with people’s most urgent needs: water, food, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, and emergency care for the injured. Following the initial quake, aftershocks have continued to wrack the region, and people have been sleeping outside in fear of more buildings collapsing. Thousands are injured and displaced…Down the road, support will help Nepal rebuild, because the damage is widespread. Donations will support long-term rehabilitation efforts. The recovery won’t be swift, but our response can be.”
Marie Danielle worked with 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, part of Empowering Women in Nepal, when she was in Nepal. She has asked to help support their relief efforts and not-for-profit work as well.
According to Empowering Women in Nepal: "Here is an update about the efforts undertaken by EWN/ 3 Sisters Adventure Team:
1. We have provided 30 households with tarps, blankets, mattresses and food (oil, salt, beaten rice, snacks) and 4 bags of clothes in the remote villages of Dhading district.
2. We have provided Karma Flights with 40 nail pullers, 25 hammers, 25 shovels to send to isolated villages in the Gorkha district (epicenter of the first earthquake), important tools which will help them rebuild their homes and for now help them build temporary shelter to stay dry from the rain.
3. This week, our team will be travelling back to the Dhading district to provide about 103 houses (in remote locations) with tin roofs and nail pullers.
4. About 30 of our staff have lost/damaged their homes. With the funds available at hand we will provide US$150 per home, so that they can use the funds to get the necessary tools and equipment to build temporary shelter to see them through the monsoon.
Our future projects
1. To assist some schools in the Kaski district that have closed down because they are completely/partially damaged. A team of EWN visited the Kaski District Education Board and have identified 5 schools that need immediate attention. Our team will be working with the schools closely in the following weeks. We want to ensure that all the children attending government schools are able to go back to their classes as soon as possible.
2. To provide minimum 50 houses with tin roofs and some tools in the Ramechhap district of Nepal.
#Art #NepalRelief #NepalEarthquake #NepalQuakeRelief #PowerofArt #HealingArt #NewYorkArtGallery
