portrait work

Beginning the middle of August, I will once again start taking appointments for commissioned portraits. I had taken a bit of a hiatus from that, but am ready to get back into the full swing of it…. on location or in my studio, color or black & white.

assembling team 3

Sarah, member of Team 2

Unbelievably, it is time to put the finishing touches on the formation of the Change the Truth team that will travel to Uganda this December. We will again be at the orphanage around Christmas time; our dates on the ground will be December 19th through the 29th. At this point there are five volunteers (including me) who have made their plane reservations and five more who are inching their way closer to doing so. Of the former group, three are returnees.

This is the last call for interested travelers. There is a possibility that of the five who are still considering their options, one or more may not go, and this will open up spaces. Please contact me as soon as possible if you'd like more information about becoming a member of Team 3!

sam dog

Sam, our 15 year old Bichon Frise, who is losing his hearing and his vision, usually gets very anxious when we pack suitcases in preparation for a trip... pacing, whining, nervousness, sad eyes, the whole bit. These days he absolutely has no idea what to make of all the packed boxes having to do with the impending garage sale. Sam isn't sure if we're coming or going. We're trying to give him a lot of extra love.

a memory confirmed

I've told this story to friends and family before. But you know how memories sometimes get murky, and often the more you tell the story the more fictionalized it can become. Well, I found the proof that backs this one up. (One definite advantage of having a garage sale and therefore seeing years and years of your past stream in front of your face as you sift through stuff that has been boxed up for ages.)

My cool older brother was having a dance in our basement. This was pretty exciting, especially because my parents even hired a DJ. My brother must have been around 16; I was about eight. Before my bedtime, I managed to sneak onto the stairs to sit and watch the kids dance, but mostly to admire the good looking DJ, a guy named Nick Clooney. He was a news anchor in Lexington in the early 60's. He was probably the most famous person I had ever seen in real life. I was already into music then, and at one point I got myself from the basement stairs right up to the table where he was playing records and told him my favorite song was "You Talk Too Much" by Frankie Ford. Just before being shooed away by my brother and then told by my mom I had to go to bed, Nick Clooney fished inside his box of 45s and pulled out the very record about which I had spoken. Before I knew what had hit me, he signed it "To Gloria, Good luck always" and placed it in my little hand. I had a lot of trouble falling asleep that night.


Nick was from a famous family: Rosemary Clooney was his sister, and then he went on to have a son, George.

I identified with that song and still can sing all the words. Maybe it was because I talked so much more than my little sister did. But I also felt that if someone could record a hit song with the lines "You talk too much, you worry me to death, You talk too much, you even worry my pet" I could accomplish big things in life.

old letters, etc.

Going through boxes of old papers and memorabilia (in preparation for our garage sale) means coming across things I haven’t seen or even thought about for a long while. This has included a couple of boxes that hearken back to the Baker Gallery years (1981 – 1992.) Today I waded through lots of old cancelled checks, inventory sheets and invoices. I think the most fun was stumbling upon correspondence with various artists and photographers. (That, and the interaction I had with collectors and photo enthusiasts was the best part of the whole gig.)

My exhibition of Jerry Uelsmann photographs was one of the most enjoyable shows I did. Uelsmann was a cheerful, unassuming and delightful artist with whom to work. He sent me letters on the back of work prints. This was one of his notes, on the backside of a beautiful. but not quite up to par, silver print.


I've already written about my reverence for Helen Leviit. I put together an exhibition that included her, Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans - one of my all-time favorite shows. Of the three, Helen was the only one with whom I corresponded directly (Evans was no longer alive and Cartier-Bresson had a rep.). Helen was totally accessible and very dear to me. This is a postcard I received from her at some point after the show had come down.


One of the sweetest photographers with whom I dealt directly was Aaron Siskind. From the start, he reminded me of my dad.


This is a good example of how low the prices were in the early to mid 80's for photographs by well known photographers. Winogrand's work was available then for what now seems like a song. It was a great time to be collecting photographs! This work now, if even available, is several thousand dollars per piece.


The biggest jump in price perhaps (of the work I carried) has been the group of Arbus prints that I showed in the early 80's. Clients from back in the day often ask me, "Why didn't you, I, we buy the whole show?!" My response is, "It's all relative. $600 or $700 seemed like a lot of money for a photograph back then." Some of us were lucky and did buy them. They cost, of course, tens of thousands of dollars now... if you can even get your hands on one. Here is the inventory sheet for the show I did.


The two Annie Leibovitz shows I did really put me on the map in Kansas City. For the first show, in 1985, I brought her to town to do a book signing at the opening reception. That weekend was a blast! This photo of Annie was taken in front of the gallery by photographer John Trotter. I has completely forgotten about this gift from him until I bumped up against it in the box of Baker Gallery goodies I explored in my basement today!

doing the garage sale thing

Over the years we have collected a lot of stuff. Abbie’s father’s day gift to Eddie was a week of fierce clutter-control culminating in a major garage sale. Sifting through the things we have gathered over all these years is mind-boggling. Also fun. Today we found our old 45’s! If you live in the KC area, come by the Feinstein’s on Saturday. There will be quite the array of goodies: cookie jars, saddles, furniture, tons of books, old cameras, printers, a basketball goal and lots more. Oh yes, and a groovy collection of old music.

antiques

Now it’s time to show you the inspiration for the plate project I undertook at the orphanage. As I already explained, making a plate was an annual affair for the two kids growing up in the Feinstein household.

Getting Max (Jeffrey the first five years) to sit still long enough to make a plate drawing was always a challenge. He had better things to do - like eating dirt, trying to flush various found objects down the toilet, banging on various found objects with his drumsticks, wreaking havoc on our dog… that kind of thing. Abbie, on the other hand, would sit for long periods of time considering her small masterpiece. She was the kind of kid who stayed with a project until she completed it and moved onto something else. Suffice it to say, there are more “Abbie plates” than “Max plates” stacked in the cupboard.

Regardless, they are some of my favorite possessions. They bring back great memories of my kids at different stages in their young lives.

more plates

These plates by Isabella, Sam, Amanda, Catherine, Godfrey and Brian are among my favorites.

circling back to change the truth

Ooh, sorry. Couldn't resist.

When I went to the orphanage in December, I carried along several Make-It Plate kits so that the kids could make drawings that would later be transferred to melamine plates. These plates are the coolest. I have a whole set made by my own children. Once a year I made them do a plate drawing. I love eating my lunch on a plate made by Abbie when she was six and then dinner on one made by Max when he was thirteen... you get the delicious picture.

The children at St. Mary Kevin's loved the challenge of drawing within a circle. Some really took to it, including Willy, Brian, Nicky, Ivan and Annet. Their plates were among the best sellers at our Friendraiser/Fundraiser earlier this month. I figured I should share them here on the blog so that my readers can see how beautiful they are. If anyone would like to purchase one, two, a complete set for six or more (!) please contact me. They are $20.00 apiece.

I can't wait to return this December with plates in hand for all the artists who participated in this project. They will go nuts! Maybe even run around in circles...

a loose park morning

A few blocks from my house is one of Kansas City’s most beautiful open spaces, Loose Park. These 74 acres are home to a lake, a shelter house, Civil War markers, tennis courts, a wading pool, picnic areas. an arboretum, a Japanese tea room and the famous Rose Garden. The park is one of my studio spaces, if you will. (The other is in my home.) I have taken countless portraits at the park over the years.


I like to arrive a little early for my appointments at Loose Park on Saturday and Sunday mornings during the summer. That’s because there’s always a wedding going on in the Rose Garden. This weekend was no exception. I took this shot just before the couple walked down the aisle and my client arrived.

kutuuka

Kutuuka, my new book, is now available at Photoeye.

In the Kansas City area, it can be found on the shelves of the Nelson-Atkins Museum bookstore, Leopold Gallery, Dolphin Gallery and Rainy Day Books. Remember, all proceeds from the sale of this book go to Change the Truth and will assist the children at the orphanage in Uganda.

The supply of hardcover books is being quickly depleted (only 150 were printed.) Of the 50 limited edition copies (which come with a drawing or one of my photographs) 23 have already been sold. So... get 'em while they're hot!

a whole lot of magic back then

“I only came in contact twice with Michael Jackson, who died today at age 50. Both times occurred 25 years ago in Kansas City, where he and his brothers launched the 55-concert Victory Tour, the Jacksons’ final tour of the U.S. and Canada.

I had been sent to Kansas City by a San Diego newspaper to cover the sold-out opening performance, which turned out to be a rather muddled and effects-driven event that attracted 45,000 fans to Arrowhead Stadium.


The concert wasn’t particularly memorable. But what happened earlier that day was unforgettable.

After a ceremony at which Michael and his brother Tito accepted an award, several young female fans sneaked into the drab and nearly empty conference room.

To them, however, it was an extraordinary place, a hallowed site where the Gloved One, also their loved one, had recently been. They walked giddily around the interior of the room, touching the walls lightly with their fingertips as if they were in a palace adorned with gold and jewels, or perhaps a sacred shrine.

‘Michael was here - I can’t believe it. Michael was really here,’ said one of the teenagers. ‘Michael’s the greatest, the absolute greatest.’

In a sense, he was.

At that point, before his personal life got seriously creepy, his looks became truly freaky and his career tanked, Michael Jackson was more than the Elvis of the ’80s. He was the King of Pop, the exalted singer-dancer-songwriter who was revered for his landmark album ‘Thriller’ and was instantly recognizable around the globe.

I had never encountered that kind of adulation before. Not with classical music or opera stars like Leonard Bernstein or Placido Domingo. Not even Luciano Pavarotti, the King of the High C’s, had such fame.

That afternoon in Kansas City taught me about the power of pop culture and the emotional connection between a superstar and his or her fans. Though you can dismiss what those young girls felt as a case of immature infatuation, it was meaningful and real to them and to millions of others who felt the same way.

So say what you will about him. Love him or loathe him. Respect him or reject him.

The truth remains: Michael Jackson once had the magic.”

- by Valerie Scher, San Diego News Network Arts & Entertainment editor

Eddie and I were among the throng of 45,000 at that Arrowhead Stadium concert back in 1984. We, unlike Valerie, thought it was a pretty amazing performance. Of course, we grew up on the Jackson 5 and all those magical things that were mid-career Michael.

Tonight we're on our way to see Stevie Wonder, who apparently was so shaken yesterday by the news of Jackson's death that he couldn't speak. Rumor has it that he's going to do a special tribute to his friend tonight.

another blast from the past

In memory and in honor of Farrah, my friend and amazing photographer Ken Rosenthal posted this photo of himself (from back in the day) on his Facebook page today. Gotta love it.

on a much lighter note

This has to be one of the best old photos I've ever seen. Wish it was from my family's album (though the kid with the hose does look a lot like my brother.) I found it at one of my new favorite places on the web, Awkward Family Photos. I love how the hose cuts across the baby's face, but best of all is the guy watering his lawn in the background. Look how perfectly it echoes the hose in the foreground. Besides all that lucky composition going on, the kid who is the subject of the picture is hilarious.

important mission

I am on the board of the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. This sixteen-year-old organization endeavors to teach the history and lessons of the Holocaust to people of all races and religious beliefs throughout the Midwest to perpetuate understanding, compassion and mutual respect for generations to come.

I first became involved with this not-for-profit when I worked on the project “Portrait 2000.” The photographs and subsequent interviews became the material for the book entitled “From the Heart” which documented the stories of fifty Holocaust survivors who lived in the Kansas City area at that time.

In honor of those survivors, I’d like to share with my blog readers this column by Steve Penn published in yesterday’s Kansas City Star.

“The way the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education sees it, the shooting at the Holocaust museum in Washington might just as well have been a shot across its own entrance.

The local center sees the assault as an affront against all Holocaust education.

Educating the public on the reality of the Holocaust is what the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education is all about. This week, a group of teachers will participate in classes given by the center aimed at increasing their knowledge of Holocaust history.

The classes have taken on a heightened sense of urgency after a white supremacist entered Washington’s Holocaust museum recently, fatally shooting a security guard.

The suspect is James W. von Brunn, an 88-year-old white supremacist from Maryland.

Jean Zeldin, executive director for the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, said the center’s goal is to teach the history of the Holocaust, applying its lessons to counter indifference, intolerance and genocide.

‘Our purpose … is to educate people so that when the deniers put forth their propaganda, that people know better,’ Zeldin said. ‘We’re probably not going to change the minds of deniers themselves. But we can equip the people who are hearing that stuff with the truth.’

Zeldin said von Brunn was beyond educating.

‘Here you have an 88-year-old man who wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow at airport security,” she said. “But he was so full of hatred. This had been festering for years.’

Zeldin said the Midwest Holocaust center is in solidarity with Washington’s Holocaust museum.

‘I’ve personally been to the Holocaust museum dozens of times,’ Zeldin said. ‘Chances are I met the security guard on one of my visits. You were walking into a place that’s pretty much hallowed ground.’

The wide media attention the story received is a testament to Holocaust education.

‘The fact that so many people feel connected to this and not just Jewish people is amazing,’ Zeldin said. ‘It grabbed the attention of the world.’

Zeldin said the shooting is an example of why the center’s mission is so important.

‘All that our center can try to do is reach those people who minds are still formative,’ she said.

Society can be lulled into complacency. But every now and then an incident occurs that serves as a wake-up call. The shooting at the Holocaust museum only inspires the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education to continue its message.”

frightening stuff

Look what greeted those who went to local synagogues for services last week in Kansas City. The Fred Phelps/Westboro Baptist Church group of protesters hoisted these signs in hopes of getting the word out about their beliefs.


Tell us how you really feel, Fred.

father's day

I spent the day shooting portraits of fathers and grandfathers with children and grandchildren. It was the first time in awhile that I have done portrait work in my studio. I had a lot of fun! Here are a few of my favorites.

party pics: finale

If you weren't able to attend our event this year, do make plans for next year. You can begin that endeavor by getting on the Change the Truth mailing list. Please contact Gloria.

If you are interested in getting information about going on the next CTT trip to Uganda, that's another good reason to get in touch. Plans are now being made.

Here is the last batch of photos taken at the Friendraiser/Fundraiser. Enjoy!

Ann and Rob Thomas

Paula Shteamer

Jesse DeMartino and Amy Duke

Bob Tostevin, Sarah Deacy and Lisa Tostevin

Wynne Wurster Winter

Harold Melcher and Gloria

Kit Smith, Kelsey Smith, Brooke Vittor, Laura Gibbons and Vicki Reisler

Xavier, drummer from the Traditional Musical Society

Lee Winter at work in the Kajjansi Marketplace

Brenda and Lonnie Powell

Wesley Blann

party pics: part 2

Max and Eddie Feinstein

Dancers from the Traditional Music Society

Anna Svoboda-Stel and Paige Harper

Melissa Mosher, David Andre and Carol Joseph

Drummers from Operation Breakthrough

Silent auction

Abbie and Sam Brandao

Silent auction

Tom Corbin and Andy Forbes

party pics: part 1

Just as he did last year, my good friend Michael Spillers generously volunteered his time and talent taking pictures at the Friendraiser/Fundraiser. He said it just makes him feel good to help.

Did you know that helping others actually increases the amount of serotonin in your system? Receiving help from someone does the same thing. And unbelievably, WATCHING someone help someone else does the trick, as well!

We were all on a real high Thursday night, that's for sure.

Dancers from the Traditional Music Society

Mary and Sarah Deacy

Ellen and Stuart Eisen

Gloria with Lynn Kaufman

Dancers from the Traditional Music Society

a very compassionate ten-year old

Several people who have young children asked me if they could bring them to our fundraiser and, more specifically, if the movie would be appropriate for them to watch. Parents do what they have to do – some protect for a good long time, while others let their children go ahead and learn about the real world.


My neighbors and friends, Jane and Josh, brought their ten-year old daughter. Jane told me that Leah has been reading about the Holocaust already. In fact she reads everything she can get her hands on and even recently watched “Schindler’s List.” She has a big heart and a knack for understanding other people’s pain. She’s only ten, I keep reminding myself.

We had a sign-up sheet for people who would like more information about going to Uganda with the next Change the Truth Team. Guess whose name I found about half way down the list? Yep. You guessed it: Leah.

I called her yesterday and asked her to write a few words about the Friendraiser/Fundraiser. About an hour later, I got this incredible composition. Neither of her parents were at home, so I know this came strictly from the heart, soul and hand of Leah:

“Gloria has done something good-hearted. She has given children something to make them feel like children. These children now feel loved, nurtured, even pretty happy. The children in Uganda die from sickness, poor living-conditions, and war. Gloria has gone to Uganda with a group of people and helped those children. She gave them music, sanitation, love, art, comfort, blissfulness, and much more. Gloria and her group want to spread what they’re doing, so Gloria wrote a book with some help. Someone made a movie, and Gloria took pictures. First I’m going to share what I thought about the movie.

The movie basically reached into your heart and pulled out everything stored inside. Everywhere around me were people. In all those people’s hearts were understanding and compassion. In all those people’s eyes were tears. On the screen were so many kids who were dirty and undernourished, who had been traumatized when they were young. They stored their memories in and then on the screen their stories poured out with words, drawings, and tears. So many tears. But today they are almost all the way stitched up and on their way to recovery. Now, less people are dying from disease and more people are happy. Now I’ll tell you something about the book.

In the book are Gloria’s amazing pictures, drawings the children made, quotes the children wrote, and dreams the children had. All the photographs were of these children. One really reached out to me. There were lots of children, reaching out for something. I think they are reaching out for food. I loved this picture so much, my mother bought it with the special-edition book. One of my favorite drawings is one of roses, probably drawn in pastel or crayon.

The book and the movie moved me so much, that I would like to go to Uganda. There is a twelve-year-old doing it, so can’t a ten-year-old? I think anyone can. Anyone can do something good. Everyone should do something good. And Gloria and so many others have.

Leah”

art is a powerful thing

Many people came to our silent art auction looking for drawings made by child artists they admired at last year's event. Some were turned onto these children's talents for the first time.

All were moved by the beauty of the work.


I received this note from one of the successful bidders. I'm to pass it along to Isabella, who is actually one of the most talented of all:

“Dear Isabella,

Thank you so much for the beautiful painting of the woman getting water. We will probably never meet, but I will think of you and your home each time I look at your painting. Art is a powerful thing. It can bring people together even though they are many miles away. My very best to you and your brothers and sisters at St. Mary Kevin.

Bob”

claire, nicky, smiling, change the truth fundraiser

This is Claire. This is the smile that would greet us each morning when we arrived at St. Mary Kevin, and it is the smile that lasted for most of the day. It’s one of those smiles that beams its way into your head and heart so that, even if Claire is off doing something else and isn’t in your line of sight, you refer back to it for inspiration. Of course, by our standards, she doesn’t have a whole lot to smile about. That’s where the inspiration part comes into play – at least for me it does. Kids like Claire help keep me going when I start to have difficulty keeping it together, whether I’m in Uganda or the USA.


Kids like Claire are the reason so many of us have dug in our heels and spent many, many hours preparing for tonight’s friendraiser/fundraiser (6 – 9 PM at the Screenland Theatre, Kansas City.) The money that we’ll raise tonight by selling drawings, dolls, dinner plates, dyed fabrics and jewelry made by Claire and the other orphans, will help insure that food, education and medical care are things she doesn’t have to worry about day in and day out. She can focus her attention on her schoolwork, her friends, her jump rope, and the hope she feels in her heart for a better future.

The first time I trudged onto the grounds of St. Mary Kevin, I was a jet lagged traveler who was simply overwhelmed, astonished and saddened by the situation in which the orphans lived. They were segregated on one side of the school grounds; the children with parents had the privilege of living on the other side. The two sides were like night and day. Even though both were tired, dirty and shockingly sad, the orphans’ “neighborhood” was distinctly worse. The children sat together, isolated from the non-orphans, on a dirt path in front of the small dormitory to eat their food. They were the second-class citizens.

All of that has changed now. The orphans have been integrated into the school population at SMK; they join the others at tables (though many still prefer to sit on the floor) to eat their meals, they wear nicer clothes, they have opportunities for education, they smile.

In fact, Rosemary has told me that now the orphans are envied by the others. They are no longer the dirty street kids who had nothing and were nothing; they have been so boosted up by Change the Truth that the non-orphans wish they were getting such royal treatment!

The first time I met my little friend, Nicholas, he could not speak English very well. He was painfully shy and mostly kept his head down. He tried, in very rudimentary English, to tell me the story about how his parents were killed by rebels in a war in the northern part of Uganda, his home. He couldn’t get past the part about his mother being dragged out of their home by soldiers. So we just kind of sat together crying for a while.

Now Nicholas (who announced to me during an art class this past December that he would now be signing his drawings “Nicky” and would I please call him that?) is taller and much more confident. His English is wonderful. He has blossomed in art and in music. Nicky’s smile, like Claire’s, will get you through the roughest day life might throw your way. Nicky is a great student; he works hard because he wants to be a doctor someday, and he knows the school fees will be there for him. His heart is as big as a heart can possibly be. He is one of the most respected and well-liked kids at SMK. He’s come a long way from the day I first spotted him sitting in the dirt eating his porridge in front of his shabby dorm, ostracized because he was an orphan. People look up to Opio Nicholas, not down.

Change the Truth has been hugely instrumental in making these changes happen.

Tonight is our shot at raising money so that we can continue to ensure that Claire, Nicky and all the others who have taught us so much – mainly about possibilities and hope - can keep on smiling.

Please join us.

sponsored student: catherine

Two days from now is the Change the Truth 2nd Annual Friendraiser/Fundraiser - our chance to make more people aware of the plight of the children at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. A lot of hard work has gone into making this event a special one. I am lucky to have a committee of dedicated and enthusiastic men and women who believe that we truly can make a difference in the lives of these kids.


Here is another of those kids. Catherine, age 15, has been one of our sponsored students for awhile now. She arrived at the orphanage when she was 10. She is quiet, but determined. She was one of hardest workers when we put in the garden this past December. She's seen a lot of horror in her young life and understandably finds it difficult to discuss. Both her parents were killed in the civil war in northern Uganda.

Catherine loves playing netball (a game similar to basketball), reading and taking care of infants. She works hard in school and wants to become a doctor. Here is what she wrote to me recently thanking CTT for paying her school fees:

"You have made my dreams come true of being an optician. I want to become an optician because I want to treat people with problems of the eye. I am so happy because you have made my dreams come true and I know I will make it.

From your lovely girl,

Catherine"

traveling part two

On the way out of town (we were on Paradise island in the Bahamas) I asked the cab driver to stop at one of the local public beaches so I could wander around for a while and make pictures. I like these two new images I made, but I did not like the fact that the cabbie overcharged us for the stop and basically ripped us off. Makes these pictures all that more valuable to me, I guess! Anyway, it was great to get to a beach where the Bahamians hang out.

traveling

I'm at my nephew's destination wedding and couldn't resist seizing the opportunity to make a couple of new pictures for my ongoing "Sea Series."

sponsored students: henry and pauline

I have written this letter to thank you for what you are doing for me. I thank you for paying my school fees. I am really so happy and it is so wonderful. I ask God to reward you and to bless you in whatever you are doing. I love you so much. I hope you will be happy when you receive this letter.

From Pauline

I am very glad to write you this letter because of the support you have put in us so that we can be educated, having food and clothes. Please, we appreciate everything you do for St. Mary Kevin. I am hoping to have fun in December with Change the Truth Team 3. My heart always thinks about how sweet you are because you are making my future bright and I know it will be very bright.

I remain yours,

Henry

books!!

One thousand copies of Kutuuka arrived this morning from the bindery in Boston. New book smell permeates the little storage unit the books now call home. 

It's kind of curious - I've been home from helping unload them now for an hour, and I can only look at the book from a distance. I guess I'll inch closer and closer to it for an eventual "curl up in the chair" meeting at some point this afternoon. I really can't explain my hesitation to look too carefully at it just yet. 

sponsored student: nelson

Now that you have met some of the young artists from the orphanage, it's time to introduce you to some of the students we sponsor. Change the Truth currently supports twenty three secondary school students (high school) and one nursing school student. Each one is special in his/her own way; each one has a unique (and sad) story that brought him/her to St. Mary Kevin's. I'm going to start with one amazing young man, an eighteen year old named Nelson. He is a natural leader and was one of the hardest working among the kids who helped us repair and paint the dorms in December.


Nelson prides himself on his thirst for knowledge, his computer skills, his love of literature, his curiosity about all people and all aspects of those people's lives, his gregarious nature and his... well... smarts. He's got a great sense of self and a great sense of humor. I visited his room when I was there. Among his very few things were books - his most prized possessions. He is currently studying Physics, Economics, Math and Fine Arts in school. He'd like to become an engineer.

I asked him to write about one of his dreams when I was at the orphanage this past December working on the Dream Series. He sat down right away to begin working. Fifteen minutes later, with a satisfied look on his face, he handed me this nicely crafted creative writing composition. I was very impressed. This is what he wrote:

“In a nick of time, having lay down on my bed, I was caught up in a deep sleep down in the forest where we fetched water in the village. As I dropped the bucket down in the well, an unknown sound from the forest started shouting loudly in a scary voice: ‘I have you today.'

Before I could fill my bucket to the brim, my sister Sarah had left. I knew now that I was in for it. I started hearing a voice coming from all sides of my slim body: ‘I need you.' That’s what it said.

Trees around me started shaking. I shuddered, then my voice started dying out. However much I could call for my twin sister, Sarah, for a rescue, it was all in vain! My heart drummed against my chest; it felt like my hair was off my head. I opted to run, but the legs could not make it to their best.

After all this shivering and scary moments, I heard the voice of Sarah saying, ‘Nelson, I am dying. Please come and help me!’ I tried to follow where the voice was coming from, but I was disturbed by the echoes in the forest. I ran following the background of her sound. I saw her. She cried at me with her tears flowing like a faulty tap. ‘Nelson, can you do something?’ I now started crying as I saw this: an unknown animal I have never seen before. I came close to her only, only to see her belly being cut and made open. This gave me much fear and proved little chance of survival. Genuinely speaking, I had no way to help Sarah, and there she died. The animal then came close and ran after me. I ran backwards calling out for help. Tears of melancholy cascaded down my muddy face as the animal jumped and caught me up.

I woke up only to remember that it was just a dream. I felt relieved!”

In a recent email, Nelson expressed his gratitude to Change the Truth supporters for his scholarship. Here is what he had to say:

"I feel I owe in my heart beyond measure to you that you enable me to enter a class, be able to look at the chalkboard and above all, attain the education I cherish most in my life. I have no doubt that with your good love, care and devoted support you render to me in addition to the transformation and enlightenment of education, I will be able to make my dreams become a reality. I solemnly promise not to disappoint you but to work to the best of my ability and be the best you want me to be. I am very grateful for your support that is putting me in the literate world of the intellectuals. Today I am one of the millions of children in the world who attain an education. This wouldn’t happen if you didn’t come to my rescue. Thank you very much. May God bless the work of your hands.

You are always in my prayers,

Nelson"

This is an unusual young man with a vast array of talents. (He's a heck of a chess player and even has some killer card tricks up his sleeve.) It is exciting to witness the development of such an extraordinary mind, and it will be interesting to see what Nelson ends up doing when he completes his education.

young artist featured in kutuuka: oscar

“Dear Friends,

My name is Oscar. I am 11 years old at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. When I was still young, my mother died. I was in grade 1. When the Change the Truth team came they gave us many games. We enjoyed our holiday. We drew many pictures. I like to draw. I thank all the Change the Truth members for the wonderful work they do for us.

From your friend, Oscar.”


Osacr's drawing has already been sold.

young artist featured in kutuuka: latifa

“I am Latifa, 13 years old. I am in Senior One from Uganda at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. I have my mother, but she is not working and she can’t afford to pay my school fees. I have four sisters and one brother. Even we don’t have our own house. My mum is poor and my dad died in the war. We came to St. Mary Kevin because of war and poverty, We had no food to eat and we were sleeping in forests.”


Latifa's framed drawing is 19" x 23". If you'd like to purchase it, along with a signed and numbered hardbound copy of Kutuuka, you can do so for a donation of $500.00 to Change the Truth. Please contact me if you are interested. Latifa just began her studies in secondary school; your contribution will help Change the Truth fulfill its committment to paying her school fees.

June 11th - this piece has sold!

young artist featured in kutuuka: ivan

“My name is Ivan. I grew up in northern Uganda and am now thirteen years. Before coming to St. Mary Kevin, I had a family where I lived. My father was an artist. He made pots which were made from the soil. One day it was nighttime and the rebels came. They shouted! They took father. I was five years. My mother said let us move from here to another place. In 2002 my mother died. She left me with my grandmother. My grandmother got a job in Kampala selling brooms. One day my grandmother went from Kampala up to Kajjansi. She showed me that place which is St. Mary Kevin. I started studying there and living there.”


Ivan's painting has already been sold.

young artist featured in kutuuka: geoffrey

“Dear Friends,

My name is Geoffrey. I am ten years old. If I grow up, I want to become a pilot. And also I like to draw because if I see pictures I am happy. That is why I say let me study drawing.

Love to all of you.”


Geoffrey's framed painting is 19" x 23". If you'd like to purchase it, along with a signed and numbered hardbound copy of Kutuuka, you can do so for a donation of $500.00 to Change the Truth. Please contact me if you are interested.

(In case you are wondering, Ugandans go by their last names first and their first names last. That is why Willy's painting is signed Okecha Willy and why this is signed Opio G. Okecha and Opio are Willy's and Geoffrey's last names respectively.)

May 31 -- this piece is now sold!

young artist featured in kutuuka: willy

“I am Willy, aged 16 years. I am in grade seven. We are five boys in our family and the first born is Jimmy, then Brian, Oscar and Enock the last born. All of the family loves art, drawing, painting and modeling things out of clay. I started loving art since I was still young. I started by drawing pictures which made children to laugh at them, but they liked the drawings and they started buying them from me. But since I came to St. Mary Kevin, my artwork was being put in power, wherby I can paint things that are amazing. I am glad to hear that the artwork that we did has been put into a book that you are going to publish in the world. That is a really wonderful job that is going to make us famous. I wish you blessing in what you have done. I am hardworking at school. I like playing games and having fun with friends. Apart from art I love computers, typing and drawing pictures on a computer.”



Willy's framed painting is 19" x 23". If you'd like to purchase it, along with a signed and numbered hardbound copy of Kutuuka, you can do so for a donation of $500.00 to Change the Truth. Please contact me if you are interested.

June 17th - this piece has sold!

young artist featured in kutuuka: rachael

One of the artists whose work is included in my book is Rachael. Hers is one of the drawings that is available as part of a limited edition set. The children who are represented in the book by their artwork are so excited! They keep thanking me for making them “famous.” I thought it might be nice for you to hear about some of them in their own words.


“Hi. My name is Rachael. I am thirteen years old. When I grow up I’d like to be an accountant. And I like art because art can take you far away. If you’re an artisan you can get money by putting badges on uniforms or designing people’s schools. I like to draw art because if I will not be an accountant, I can be an artisan. I am an orphan. I was young when my father died. Mum Rosemary is the one who cares about me plus the Change the Truth group. I love my talent because God is the one who gave it to me – and it is a part of my life. Always remember this book.”






Rachael's framed drawing is 19" x 25". If you'd like to purchase it, along with a signed and numbered hardbound copy of Kutuuka, you can do so for a donation of $500.00 to Change the Truth. Please contact me if you are interested. Rachael just began her studies in secondary school; your contribution will help Change the Truth fulfill its committment to paying her school fees.

melissa returns

I received this email from Melissa written when she got back to KC:

"Leaving Uganda was very hard...harder than I initially thought it would be. Some of the kids were able to escort me to the airport, and I was able to chose the kids. Of course I would not allow Henry (my Ugandan mutabani/son) to leave my side on Friday, and others to join me in the adventure to the airport were Joan, Saka, Nicky, Tonny, Issy, Rachel, and Petra. Although the trip to the airport was quick and they stayed only long enough to say goodbye and unload my bags, it was a special send off for me having my loved ones with me to the very end. The children were marveling at the airport, for many had never seen one before. It was also very funny to hear some of their master plans to sneak on the plane with me (including becoming an insect in my bag, hiding under my shirt, squeezing in my bag rolled in a mat, etc.). Having that final send off from SMK will forever remain with me.

There seems to be one little girl that captures my heart every trip. I loved reconnecting and spending time with my other girls, Doreen and Tina. However, this trip it was Petra that literally stole my heart from me. Petra is the younger sister of Opio Nicholas and Kiden Isabella, who are two of the most phenomenal and multi-talented children that I have ever met. These children lost both of their parents to rebel fighting in Northern Uganda. Petra has joined her older brother and sister just this last term. Ah, just thinking of Petra makes me smile. Initially she was a little shy, but quickly became my Princess. She loved to cuddle as much as I loved to cuddle her. Petra took my leaving rather hard and spent some time on Friday crying in my lap for me to stay with her or take her with me. Talk about a knife through the heart to explain that neither could happen.

After this trip, I have no doubts that Uganda and SMK will continue to play a major role in my future and planning. I know that it was necessary to return home, but it was done rather reluctantly on my part. I missed little to nothing (except my son Antwain) in the states (not running water, hot showers, modern conveniences, my bed.)

I only wish that each of you could have (if you have not already) an equal experience that brings out all of the bests in you. In Uganda I feel free enough to be my very best (without the daily pressures of life), and it felt phenomenal to love as well as be loved, appreciate as you are appreciated, and live each moment to its fullest."

change the truth friendraiser/fundraiser

It's happening two weeks from tonight! You won't want to miss it. We are going to have a great African market, wonderful artwork by the children from the orphanage, Lynne Melcher's new movie "Changing the Truth", drummers from Operation Breakthrough and the release of the book that is a collaboration between the children and me. There will be food, a cash bar and valet parking. The event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and family! 6 - 9 PM at the Screenland Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. Hope to see you there!

what does one do with 1000 books?

Hopefully, one sells them. But in the meantime, one will put them in a rented 5’ x 10’ storage unit.

The final, final, final sign-off on “Kutuuka” took place yesterday after I received and okayed the trimmed and assembled signatures. One hundred pounds of ink, a shameful amount of paper (the printing company does thankfully recycle all the printed proofs that didn’t quite meet my standards) and a lot of blood, sweat and tears later, the book is now on its way to Boston for binding.

In a couple of weeks a truck will pull up to the rental unit, and the books will have a home. Hopefully, they won’t live there for too long.

letter from melissa, halfway through her stay at the orphanage

“With the short amount of time that I have at the computer I will attempt to convey just a fraction of the pure happiness and contentment I am feeling with my family in Uganda. Perfection and bliss would be the closest adjectives that I can find to express how peaceful I feel and how at home I am feeling.

I have also started a group with the younger boys. I have been so partial to the girls and older boys, that I wanted to find a way to know them, too. Boys are boys no matter where they live...these boys live to play, have short attention spans, and love to tease each other. I have started teaching them American games (they love Red Light, Green LIght), teaching them to play songs with some Boomwhackers (plastic tubes that can serve as musical instruments...Ann, please tell Beth thank you for the music), hacky sacks. The boys like to run around the compound playing soldiers or police. They have given me many laughs.

There have been a couple of days that speakers have come to the school. It has been very interesting to hear their message (when it is in English). Joan arranged for community workers (police and organizers) and graduates/former teachers to SMK to return to speak to the children about their bright futures and encouraging them to be helpful members of tomorrow's Ugandan society. The children did a good job listening to the message, but children will be children.

Many of the children have continued to study during the holiday, particularly those in Primary 7, Senior 4, and Senior 6. Each group will be taking National Exams in either October or November, and these exams are VERY important to the children's futures. Their results will determine the type of school they can attend and their future course of study.

As much as I have loved my girls, I have reveled the moments with my big boys. On Friday, which was Billy's last night at the school, the boys and I ventured into Kampala for dinner. The places that I know are very few, so we ended up eating at the Speke Hotel (pizza, chicken, and chips were well-eaten that night). It was probably the best dinner I have had in quite a while. We were equally proud to be amongst each other's company. Nelson, one of the older boys, shared that he had walked by the Speke many times wondering about what it would be like to eat at such a place, and he was beaming to be on the inside. His pride equaled mine at their manners. Ugandan boys like American boys have stomachs that are bottomless pits. Afterwards we took photos in the lobby, and they were almost giddy with excitement.

This trip feels very comfortable. I have enjoyed the new experiences (negotiating transportation, traveling to new places), but the comfort of returning to SMK and my beloved Ugandan family has been better. I am not ready to think about Friday... although it is just a pipe dream, I would give all of the shillings in the world for time to slow down. I shall return with many photos, videos, pen pal letters, and love from the children at SMK.”

last day on press

Two twelve hour days down and one more to go. The book looks really good. And I am feeling really good about doing this work, especially in light of the email I received this morning from Joan at the orphanage:

“Mama Gloria,

Thanks for working so hard. There really is such a difference in the children because of Change The Truth. They are looking so healthy, beautiful and strong, all with smiles on their faces. Thanks for changing the truth (past) in these children's lives. Please never stop coming to SMK.”

That’s enough to make one hop out of bed and put in another long day at the print shop, isn’t it?

The kids are ever on my mind now, as I am constantly looking at their faces and studying the colors in their drawings on each proof page that rolls off the printing press. If only they were here to see this happening; I am pretty sure it would send them dancing down the hallway at Meridian, their warm smiles heating up the place.

The printing will be finished later this afternoon. The forms will be shipped off to the bindery in Boston, then the bound books will be sent to Kansas City in a couple of weeks.

I’ve been going through images from the most recent trip to the orphanage and will share some of those that kind of slipped through the cracks of my original edits with you now.

melissa in uganda

"Arriving here in Uganda has been beyond my expectations. I was greeted at the airport by Rosemary, Joan and the big boys (Henry, Billy, and Edward). It was truly like arriving home with them. We have been comfortable with one another getting caught up. The school looks very good...the children and staff have maintained a clean area. There is new grass growing in the compound, vegetables sprouting from the garden, buildings have been kept up. Peter, one of the teachers, has taken over duties as the Head Master. He is fair and very active with the children. It has been a pleasure and privilege to sit with Rosemary and Joan and discuss the school. I have been asking many questions and getting some valuable information about the children's progress in school.

The children have been taking very good care of me. The girls had my bed ready for me, and they have decorated it with their most valuable possessions. My posse of girls has grown, and I am making great efforts to get to know the younger boys. They are great fun and so silly. It makes me miss Antwain, cause I know that they would have great fun together. The children have been constantly entertaining me with dancing, singing, modeling (even the little boys modeled for me last night... seriously so funny).

The time has been planned well, but the days are passing too quickly for me. I am savoring every moment with my most beloved friends, and I am grateful for this time with them."

printing the book

The making of “Kutuuka” has been quite the collaboration. Working with essayists, a designer, an editor, proofreaders and printing project manager has comprised a good portion of the past four months. Now that I am at Meridian Printing, the notion of collaboration has really kicked into high gear. There are pressmen involved - Kevin, Jim, Steve and Dave. They run the very large Heidelberg printing press like ship captains and first mates. Then there’s George, who oversees the press-room, including the massive machinery, the pressmen and each printing job. Mike, who did all the pre-press work (tri-tone and color separations) helps make sure the printed job accurately reflects my original intentions. Finally, Adam, with whom I have been working long distance every step of the way – from bid to proof reviews – keeps the whole show running smoothly.


These guys take their job very seriously and are committed to making this book look the very best it can possibly look. They are master craftsmen. They are also really patient and kind.


The press can print 7,000 pages per hour. It’s a monster. It has more rollers and ink fountains than you can shake a pica stick at, and it hums with magnificent power and grace.

We got the ball rolling at 8:30 a.m. Carol and I were ushered into a nicely appointed lounge, where we both promptly set up our laptops, started sipping bottled water and munching on various snacks. Eventually, Adam led us into the press-room to take a look at the first “form” (which will become a signature) from the black and white section of the book. In all, there will be seven signatures made up of sixteen pages each. With the first one, there was a lot of adjusting required to reach the desired density, weight and contrast of the images. Once we nailed that, there was an issue with banding (faint streaks) in one of the images. That was corrected by changing several of the rollers on the press. By lunchtime, I had signed off on the first form… literally. Not Barack Obama signing a bill into action, but close.




It’s a slow, tedious process. Carol and I spend a lot of time waiting. Once a form is approved by me, it takes a half hour or so to print it. Then, the plates on the press need to be changed over to the next form, and the whole process begins again. After about two hours, we are called in to look at the next form and determine what tweaks need to be made. This can take another half hour to hour.


We didn’t leave Meridian until 9:00 p.m. It was a long day.

But it is beyond exciting to see the book get to this point. And it is very cool to be printing it in the hallowed halls of Meridian, where people like Richard Avedon, Lee Friedlander, Judith Joy Ross, Annie Leibovitz, Emmet Gowin and John Szarkowski have also sat around waiting to approve forms that have just rolled off the press.

more from mother's day

There were many wonderful elements to the Baker family Mother's Day family gathering in Lexington this past weekend. One was welcoming into the family the newest addition, the first great grandchild. We gather on this weekend each year to remember our mom at a concert held in her honor at the University of Kentucky. Thinking of (and missing) our mother and looking over at (or cuddling) baby Sydney was a powerful reminder of the cycle of life.

mother's day

Hope all you mother readers had a wOnDErfUL Mother's Day. I got to be with all three kids, which was a treat and the first time it had happened in a year an a half. Now I'm on my way to East Greenwich, Rhode Island to be "on press" for my new book, "Kutuuka." I'll be sharing that three-day process with you, but want to first post these photos of my family on Mother's Day, playing ball in our dress-up clothes.

want to get a smile on?

Here's another short video about the power of music - children and music, in particular. It was passed along to me by a friend, who noted that the YouTube title for this three minute slice of magic is "Remind me again why music shouldn't be in public school?"

These fifth graders will make your day. I guarantee it.

playing for change

"The act of playing music with people of different cultures, religions, economics and politics is a powerful statement. It shows that we can find ways of working together and sharing our experiences with one another in a positive way. Music has the power to break down the walls between cultures, to raise the level of human understanding." ~ Mark Johnson, founder, Playing for Change

Bill Moyers called it a remarkable example of "the simple yet transformative power of music... to touch something in each of us." Variety acknowledged it as "a great showcase for just what incredible, thoroughly accessible popular music is being made worldwide. Utilizing innovative mobile audio/video techniques, Playing for Change (PFC) records musicians outdoors in cities and townships worldwide. They've travelled from post-Katrina New Orleans to post-apartheid South Africa, from the remote beauty of the Himalayas to the religious diversity of Jerusalem. Their talents are captured in myriad environments: under the sun and beneath the streetlights... in public parks, plazas and promenades... in doorways, on cobblestone streets, amid hilly pueblos. Their performances are subsequently combined in allowing them to collaborate - albeit separated by hundreds, or even thousands, of miles.

Several readers have sent me info about this remarkable collection of music; I figured it was time to share, though most of you have probably already been turned on to it. Check it out (this is just one of several songs on the CD) for the first time or for the fortieth time. It's good stuff.

i am virgo, hear me roar (i mean, fret)

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I have had making my new book and also how much sleep has been lost over it. I nitpick and fuss a lot when it comes to major undertakings such as this. I can’t help it; I’m a Virgo.


Basically, I have no control over what happens at 3 a.m. when I hop out of bed, head to the computer and begin rearranging sentences in the opening essay. It is simply out of my hands when I call Lindsay, my book designer, minutes after I have signed off on the placement of photos on a page to tell her I need time to reconsider. As painful as it seems to those of you who are not Virgos, I actually relish reviewing my highly organized sock drawer, um, I mean endless drafts of the book.

Some quick research has turned up facts that may help explain why the “drop dead deadline” for the book has passed, and I am still fretting over whether or not to put some of the words on the acknowledgement page in bold or italics.

“A Virgo is a perfectionist. When you tackle a project, you do it right, to the nth degree. You believe you have to be the best at it, so you study, you practice, you go the extra mile, you apply all your little advantages—smarts, hard work, and especially analysis—to get that edge.”

This may explain a few things to those of you who are not Virgos - particularly those who have suffered from my craziness. (You know who you are.)

“You are also very observant and have an eye for detail. This is, of course, how you get your reputation for being fussy and nitpicking - you can see things that other people miss. You are a perfectionist and details are important to you.”

And why they get calls and emails from me (at odd hours) about commas and semi colons.

“You have a great work ethic—you're disciplined, highly organized, punctual and tireless.”

And why it’s pretty much all I’ve thought about and talked about for the past four months.

“There is a painstaking quality to the Virgoan performance that might put a Renaissance iconographer to shame. It is part of the perfectionism that this sign is commonly known for. Virgo is the sign of the master artisan who cares about what he or she is creating. Virgos make the most marvelous artists and architects, possessing an innate eye for detail, perspective, structure and form.”

As I’ve said, this has actually all been great fun for me. Incredibly, I delight in the challenges of assembling all kinds of puzzles, and making a book is just that. Do I have hair left, is any of it still brown, what are these dark things that have formed just beneath my eyes? Ha! It’s not that bad, but I think you get the picture. The “Virgoan performance” is a heavy burden to bear. But, I feel really lucky to be the one doing the bearing. And the feeling I’ll have when the presses start rolling next week, and that first image is put in front of me, glistening with ink and full of so much promise? Well, it’ll be euphoric.

Unless I suddenly begin wondering if a different image should have gone on that page. Which, of course, I will.

building libraries in uganda

One of the really lovely benefits of being involved in a not-for-profit is getting to know others who share similar passions. I have been truly lucky to come into contact with many people who, for one reason or another, have actually spent time at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. Small world, really, considering the mind blowing number of orphanages that fill the landscape of Uganda.

The wonders of the Internet have brought me in touch with people from all corners of the USA who have traveled the same dirt road up to SMK. One such person is from Illinois. Connie landed at the orphanage shortly after my first trip there and found me through a Google search. We have corresponded regularly ever since, and she has become good friend to Change the Truth. Here is her story:


“I was part of the group that built the library at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage in 2007. I wish you could have seen that process. Most of us had never been to Uganda before, it was late in the day when we got there and had only a few hours to get all the books into the boxcar that had been made over into a room with shelves. We had already finished another library that day so were all pretty tired and hot. As you know, late in the evening is when the mosquitoes come out to play and we had no electricity so had to use a generator for a small light. We had no fan so the women lined up in the boxcar and passed books to each other for shelving and the men stood by with large pieces of cardboard fanning us to keep the mosquitoes at bay. What a hoot. Not at the time, of course, but after we finished and had time to think about it. We finished shelving the last books just as the generator ran out of gas. Perfect. The next day we went back and the men made those great benches that I've seen in some of your pictures while the rest of us went into class rooms and hung out with some of the kids. The only problem is that because we do all of these libraries in such a short time, we don't have a lot of time to make real connections with people. Because our group is so small this year we're hoping to have more time just to get to know people.

There are actually two teams going this year. The large group will be going two weeks ahead of us and will be putting libraries in two large schools in Mbale. Then five of us from Illinois will be going in on June 29 and will restock a library in one school, build a library in a high school, and then go to an orphanage between Kampala and Mbale to build a small library for sighted as well as blind students. From there we will go on to Mbale and will train the teachers and students about how to properly use a library. As you can imagine, the idea of a lending library is something that they don't fully understand, so it can be a challenge to be sure the library is used in the best way to suit their needs. The idea of borrowing, reading, then taking the books back, and trading for another one is hard for them. And, of course, many of them don't have homes to take the books to so we are building cabinets at the schools so they can be left there as well. This year, we are taking hundreds of globes and maps to take to the schools as well. If you'd like to learn more about all of it you can check out their web site at www.librariesoflove.org.”

mail call

It’s a great day when my mail carrier delivers a package of letters from St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. The one that arrived this week was ripped and torn and had been stuffed inside a plastic bag somewhere along the way. It was a mess, and it had taken a long time to get to me, but was I ever happy it made it! Reading the letters evoked a range of emotions, mostly just really good feelings. I’d like to share excerpts from four of them. These are written by children who will be featured in my book, Kutuuka, either as part of the Dream Series or with a drawing they made. Nicky and Isabella are brother and sister, both very good artists. These photos of the children were taken in 2006, 2007 and 2008. See how they’ve grown and changed!


To my special Mama Gloria, the pearl of St. Mary Kevin,

This is to thank you for all the great things you have done in my life. I am really being a good boy and reading hard to pass my exams. The drawing materials you brought are still here and we are not wasting any. I am having another sister here with me now. She’s called Petra. She’s third born in our family and she’s in Primary 1. She’s talented in drawing too. Greet for me all the Change the Truth organization.

From your faithful son, Nicky (age 12)








Dear Mama Gloria,

Let me hope everybody if fine at home. It was really fun to have you at our home, Mama. Thank you for our mattresses, blankets and bedsheets. They really changed our standard of living. Thank you very much for my school fees. Mama, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be in school. Send greetings to all the friends of Change the Truth.

I remain yours, Joseph (age 14)






Dear Mamy Gloria,

How are you these days? Thank you for all the things you have done for us. I am happy that you sent me a letter. I am requesting you to thank for me all the friends we are having. Thank you for the band which you have brought for us. We are training some of them and some of them are perfect and some of them are becoming good. Thank you for all the things which you have done for us like mattresses, band, friends, food, clothes and nets, etc. May God bless you.

Thank you, bye bye. I am your son, Tony. (age 11)








Dear Gloria,

It was so wonderful to see you at St. Mary Kevin in December. Thank you for the love you have shown us. And I want to thank all the Change the Truth team for their kindness. Thank you for teaching us how to use watercolours. You are a good teacher.

I miss you. Love to you from Isabella (age 11)

kc studio article

Lynne and I were interviewed recently for an article in "KC Studio" a magazine which supports the arts community in Kansas City. Click here and flip to page 34 if you'd like to read it!