Embassy Marks Earth Day 2009 with Youth Arts Competition

April 22, 2009

PAO Caroline Savage hands certificate to youngest art contest participant

In honor of Earth Day, Embassy Minsk organized a painting and sculpture contest in which more than 80 young artists and sculptors from all over Belarus took part, submitting over 100 artistic works. A professional Belarusian jury chose the best works to participate in the exhibition at Minsk’s Pushkin library. Opening the event, Charge d’Affaires Jonathan Moore expressed support for up-and-coming Belarusian artists and vowed that the Embassy will continue to sponsor such cultural events to promote cooperation and mutual understanding between the American and Belarusian peoples. All exhibition participants, including the youngest artist, an 8-year-old girl, received special prizes from the Embassy. Art student and a contest grand prize winner Mikhail Gulin commented, “It’s great that the US Embassy organizes such events because Belarus doesn’t have many opportunities for young artists to exhibit their work.” Extensive favorable press coverage, members of the jury and other local artists who took part in the opening ceremony echoed Gulin’s sentiment with enthusiastic praise for the Embassy’s organization of the event.