Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Children Unmasked

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) “Linking With Art – The Mask Task” features the work of more than 50 children who attend elementary and middle schools from Rialto, Riverside, San Bernardino and Fontana. It takes place Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2465 Mary St. in Riverside, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jalani Bakari, from noon to 4 p.m.

San Bernardino Valley Links, Inc., a non-profit organization providing education and other community service throughout the Inland Empire, sponsored a program in these schools in which children learned to create African-style masks.

“Most of their masks have a recognizable African theme,” said Margo Thomas, chairman of the San Bernardino Valley Links, Inc. Arts Committee, and the professional artist who taught this program in the participating schools. “Some of the younger children did their own thing, which is fine.”

Linking With Art is also a show featuring professional artists. The featured artist is “Gamboa,” other artists are “BerniE (Morton Bernard Edmonds),” Derrick Dragan, Shanna Fennell, Omar Howard, Charles Knox, Margo Thomas and Maya Thomas.

This is the seventh annual show for Linking With Art, however it is the first year the organization has included a children’s art project. Participating children attend school at Dollahan and Georgia Morris elementary schools in Rialto, Gage Middle School in Riverside, Malcolm X Academy and Richardson Prep School in San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga Middle School, and Wayne Ruble Middle School in Fontana.

Co-sponsors, with the San Bernardino Valley Links, Inc. are the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce, the San Bernardino Valley Links, Inc. and the Riverside African-American Historical Society.

Donation to the art show is $10, however the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce has 40 free tickets available by request. For more information about the free tickets, call Carl Dameron, president of the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce, at (909) 888-0017 before 12 noon Friday, Oct. 2.

For more information about the show, call Margo Thomas at (951) 684-2378.

About The Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce
The Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to promote the economic and professional development of African American-owned businesses, thus enhancing the quality of life in our community.

-end-