Benjamin Rusnak’s 23 Degrees, Far From Paradise
February 27 – April 4, 2012, M to F 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Other hours by appointment
ACND Gallery of Art at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame 6 to 12 Prep
Benjamin Rusnak is an humanitarian photojournalist for “Food for the Poor, Inc.” – an international relief and development agency. The exhibit demonstrates how Rusnak uses the foundations of solid journalistic story-telling to fundraise for the poor. His works depict poverty in Honduras, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Guatemala.
Prior to working for the “Food for the Poor, Inc.,” Rusnak was a newspaper photojournalist for nearly 10 years, having worked for Agence France-Press, the Indianapolis Star, the Fort Myers News-Press and the Ann Arbor News. His work has been recognized by Pictures of the Year International, the Best of Photojournalism, the Gordon Parks photography competition, the New York Photo Awards, the International Photography Awards, Photo District News, the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, the Alexia Foundation, and the China International Press Photo Contest.
His work has been exhibited at: the World Bank in Washington, D.C., KONA Gallery, CA, and George Mason University, VA and he has spoken about his work to people of all ages including engagements at the University of Florida and University of Central Florida.
Artists’s Statement:
23º of latitude separate the Equator from the Northern tropic. These latitudes are home to beaches, palms, vacation resorts, idyllic paradise — and poverty.
This is where the sun bares countless dark and desperate lives. This is where the unfortunate location of birth often condemns people to a life of struggle in an unforgiving land, beset with drought and flood, famine and tempest.
Conversely, this is where hope and resilience coexist with tribulation. For the poor, there is a duality to life. In each person, each moment holds joy and pain, a mourning for what is lost and a yearning for what may be. These lands represent a dream holiday to tourists, but they are only an elusive fantasy to millions of residents still hoping for the reality of paradise to become theirs.
The HungerFest Event:
Organized by ACND’s Edmund Rice Service Community (ERC), “HungerFest’ is a yearly event that raises consciousness of poverty and world hunger through Lenten practices of prayer and almsgiving. Students will be spending two days raising funds and bagging lunches with products donated by the student body as well as neighboring parochial elementary schools.
The packed lunches are delivered to Miami’s Camillus House and Miami Rescue Mission. The monies raised will be donated to earthquake relief efforts at ACND’s sister school – Abrigot, St. Louis du Nord in Port de Paix, Haiti, and the CCB’s mission in Peru.
Cars: $5.00
Suv’s: $7.00
Friday Feb 24: 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday Feb 25: 9:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
The ERC welcomes donations of non-perishable food items such as peanut butter, jam, packaged cookies, juice boxes, or bottled water to be donated to the Camillus House and Miami Rescue Mission. Donations may be dropped off at the school during regular hours Monday to Friday (in the main office.)
http://www.acnd.net
Art/Photography Exhibit
Free admission to exhibit
