Students working with the International Humanitarian Foundation to help raise money for a small Costa Rican community will unveil the pictorial story of its ambition in an art opening Thursday night in Collis.
The 13 original oil paintings by prominent indigenous Costa Rican artist Fran Vazquez, which have been hanging on the walls of the Collis Cafe since Friday, are part of a children's book, which will be published and sold in the local area to benefit the Cabecar community of Lower Chirripo in Costa Rica.
The pictures tell the story of a young indigenous man who leaves the mountain village in search of fame and fortune, only to return to the values and the lifestyle he knew as a child.
"It's about being able to hold onto your past and how important that is while at the same time striving for something new. It's very much what the community is trying to do," said Jennifer Peterson '06, who organized the event.
The story, which will be hung near the corresponding paintings in Collis for the opening, was written by Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation worker Gail Nystrom. The community's leaders approached Nystrom in 1999 for help in improving their infrastructure to survive in the modern world.
Since then, the CHRF and the local Cabecar community have collaborated to create unity and empower local residents through education, the construction of communal buildings, public health and dietary improvements and a women's art cooperative. The CHRF pays the salaries of a husband and wife team whose roles as leaders and organizers are essential to the community's unity and advancement. Donations to the Dartmouth fundraising campaign will help create an endowment to fund the salaries of local leaders in perpetuity.
According to Peterson, the group needs to raise $7,000 to publish the children's book, which will spread the message about the needs and values of the Cabecar community. They then hope to be able to raise at least another $7,000 from the book's sales to send back to Costa Rica. The books will be sold in Hanover, Burlington, Vt., and possibly Northampton, Mass.
As for why they chose to publish a children's book, Peterson said that in addition to providing a revenue source to fund the salaries of community leaders, it was important to the Cabecar community to show who they are.
"It gets across the message in a simple way. They wanted to show the community in a pictorial way," Peterson said.
Peterson and her peers have already raised $2,500 at Dartmouth through a sorority flag-football fundraiser Spring term.
Peterson became involved with the Cabecar community as part of her work with IHF and her interest in community development and the arts.
The art opening will take place from 9 to 11 p.m. on Thursday in Collis Cafe. The event will be catered and will feature a jazz band. Although not required, contributions for the Cabecar village will be accepted.
The opening is co-sponsored by the Collis Governing Board and Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority.
