Gallery Raises Funds for Mozambique Cause

In the first exhibition of the season, Reynolds Gallery used art to draw attention to the continuing problem of poverty by pairing 36 etchings by Rembrandt of the poor in 17th century Holland with eight oversize color photographs by South African artist Zwelethu Mthethwa of the poor and marginalized in present-day Mozambique. The images confronted gallery visitors with bright depictions of miners working in very poor conditions, and young boys picking through a dump in a series of photos, “Contemporary Gladiators.” Like gladiators, the children evoked a heroic dignity while struggling for survival in dehumanizing circumstances.

Admission to the gallery is always free, but throughout this exhibition an alms box was stationed near the door. Having contemplated the lives of beggars and the working poor across two countries and two different centuries, visitors were invited to contribute towards helping the poor in our own time. By the end of the exhibition, the gallery raised $300, and donated it in honor of Mthethwa to World Vision in support of their work in Mozambique.

The funds will go to World Vision to support a project for clean water wells at 20 schools in Central Mozambique. The rural area is home to 56,000 people, with high rates of diseases related to a lack of clean water. In some cases getting clean water involves a three-to four-mile walk, a job often given to girls who consequently cannot attend school. Over a three-year period, World Vision will create 20 wells and 20 ecological latrines and provide education about safe water and hygiene practices. The clean water project is ongoing. For more information, contact Jeff Witten at World Vision, jwitten@worldvision.org.

“This exhibition was a great example of the way art helps us understand the world in which we live and goads us into action,” says Judy L. Larson, Askew professor of art and director of Reynolds Gallery. “It is an honor for Reynolds Gallery to be able to help improve the lives of families in Mozambique, thanks to the generosity of our visitors.”