March 16, 2012
STUDENTS AT FOUR SCHOOLS SHOW OFF THEIR UMBRELLAS FOR PEACE

More than 200 students gathered today at Cambier Park to share their thoughts on peace, tolerance, love, and hope. Thanks to Jo-Gi Gallery of Naples and the Chicago-headquartered Matt Lamb Umbrellas for Peace Foundation, students from Gulfview Middle, Lake Park Elementary, Sea Gate Elementary, and St. Ann schools, accompanied by the Naples High School Jazz Band, joined together to illustrate peace through their eyes.

Each participating student received an umbrella and some bright red, blue, yellow, and white paint. Their task - express their feelings on peace in colorful ways on the inside and outside of their umbrella. After the painting session, each school took a short stroll around Cambier Park, concluding the event with an impressive sea of colorful Umbrellas for Peace gathered on stage. School Board Member Julie Sprague, City of Naples Mayor John Sorey, as well as city, county and State officials welcomed all the students.

The Umbrellas for Peace project instills values of peace, tolerance, hope, understanding, and love in school children around the globe, using art as a metaphor for acceptance. Matt Lamb, the founding artist, began the project in 2002 in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Since then, the project has visited 29 countries and touched over 2 million participants. Today’s event was the first Umbrellas for Peace project held in Florida.

To learn more, please contact Joanne Giunta (Jo-Gi) of Jo-Gi Gallery of Naples at 659-5644. There will be a Meet Matt Lamb art exhibition on display at the gallery from March 17 to March 21 (761 12th Avenue South). For information on the Matt Lamb Umbrellas for Peace project, visit www.mattlamb.org.

To see a video from this event, please click here.