Illustrators come together to raise money after Brazilian landslides

1. Groningen4 February 2011, 18:13 GMT +01:00

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/index.cfm?olo=email&NewsID=3259361

Illustrators come together to raise money after Brazilian landslides
Thursday 03 Feb 2011 - 14:53

Brazilian artist and illustrator Guilherme Marconi has created the Projeto Região Serrana (Mountains Region Project), which brings together posters featuring artworks from 30 leading illustrators to raise money to help relief projects after the recent catastrophic landslides in his country.

Contributors to the project include Murilo Maciel, Radim Malinic (aka Brand Nu), Alberto Seveso, Danilo Rodrigues, Elisa Sassi, Eduardo Recife, Michael Osterman, and Matt Lyon.
“I was there when everything happened,” says Guilherme.
He lives in Nova Friburgo, one of several towns in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro where heavy rains led to landslides in mid-January. Hundreds died -- more than 300 in Nova Friburgo alone.
In the ensuing chaos, Guilherme and his wife walked for six hours through quagmires and areas strewn with debris to get news of family and friends. “We saw people that were hurt, and those that were unfortunately dead. We walked hearing the crazy sounds of ambulances, helicopters, trucks and the shouts of [distressed] people. We saw things that we will never forget.”
While volunteering in the subsequent relief effort, Guilherme had an inspired idea.
“Art saves,” he thought. He contacted Urban Arts, a shop and online gallery based in São Paulo, and soon the Projeto Região Serrana (Mountains Region Project) was born. It will channel proceeds from sales of the work of more than 30 artists – including some not usually represented by Urban Arts – towards ongoing relief programmes in Nova Friburgo and two other severely affected towns, Petrópolis and Teresópolis.
“There are many people that don’t have a place to go back to,” Guilherme says.
As an illustrator, Guilherme works for clients such as Nokia and Microsoft, and describes himself as an anime addict. He dreams of the day when he will “see no more of this dirt” that still cloaks Nova Friburgo. “I hope we will have our city as it was again.”
Each poster is 47.5 x 62.5cm in size and costs R$50 (£18.49), or R$98 (£36) framed.
For more information see the Projeto Região Serrana Web site.

http://www.urbanarts.com.br/Artistas/PRS#