LATEST NEWS
:: Florence 2007 Biennale
BIENNALE INTERNAZIONALE DELL'ARTE
CONTEMPORANEA DI FIRENZE
Florence, Italy December 5th through December 9th 2007
The Florence Biennale is largest and most prestigious contemporary fine arts show in the world. This year’s event was attended by over 20,000 people with over 800 artists from over 76 nations displaying award-winning art, as well as Ambassadors from Cyprus, Japan, Turkey, Australia and Mexico. Artists for Human Rights was honored by the Biennale’s invitation which included an Artists for Human Rights exhibition featuring art works created on a human rights theme. The exhibit was so successful, artists from all over the world extemporaneously joined in creating a spectacular, beautiful mural for human rights.
The Biennale has a great tradition of supporting human rights. In 2001 The United Nations recognized the Florence Biennale as an official partner in its program Dialogue of Nations. Then Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan said, “Artists have a special role to play in the global struggle for peace. At their best, artists speak not only to the people, they speak for them. Art is a weapon against ignorance and hatred.”
Artists for Human Rights’ founder, Anne Archer, gave a riveting address to all attendees inspiring artists from around the world on the subject of human rights. Anne presented to the Florence Biennale the Artists for Human Rights’ International Humanitarian Award which was graciously received by Pasquale Celona, President of the Biennale.
:: Bergamot Station
Founder of Artists for Human Rights, Anne Archer, and Artist for Human Rights Director of Visual Arts, Pomm , co-hosted a grand opening reception of Artists for Human Rights/Visual Arts Human Rights art exhibition at the prestigious James Gray art gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, California.
The exhibit which featured stunning art pieces, each with a human rights theme, ran for a week and was attended by thousands of people. At the standing-room-only grand opening of the exhibit, Anne Archer presented Artists for Human Rights Achievement Award to Mr. James Cavello. Mr. Cavello, the President of the prestigious Westwood Gallery in SoHo New York, has served as Governor on the Board of The National Arts Club and as the Director of the Museum of National Arts Foundation.
A famed curator, collector and consultant, Mr. Cavello has been a tireless advocate for children and their human rights producing art exhibits in worn-torn countries from Kosovo to Viet Nam to Afghanistan for the benefit of the Children’s Museum and the Kids Fund. Mr. Cavello is the President of the World-Wide Children’s Foundation.
:: 2007 Human Rights Hero Awards
On 2 October 2007, Artists for Human Rights hosted the 2007 Human Rights Hero Awards at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center International in Hollywood, California. The event was attended by artists, human rights advocates and advocacy organizations, as well as by delegates from the UCLA Global Human Rights Summit.
The evening was hosted by actress, Marisol Nichols, and included inspiring performances by Grammy winning, Academy Award nominated recording artist and composer, Mark Isham, and award-winning singers Tony Harnell and Stacy Francis. Actor Michael Pena presented Human Rights Hero Award to Martha Montoya whose artistic work with one of the largest read children’s publication, Los Kitos, has reached across all boundaries of race, creed and nationalities with messages of peace, tolerance and human rights. Mary Shuttleworth, President of Youth for Human Rights International, presented Human Rights Hero Award to Sammy Abbey-Jacobs for his long-standing work with the United Nations and conflict resolution in Africa and his human rights education accomplishments as Programs Director for Sub Sahara Africa for Youth for Human Rights.
Actress, Pricilla Presley, presented the final Human Rights Hero Award to Mr. Jack Healey. Mr. Healey served as Executive Director of Amnesty International for twelve years and in this capacity produced the human rights tours for Sting, Bono and Bruce Springsteen. As founder of the Human Rights Action Center, Mr. Healey continues his transformational work on human rights and has led the international movement to bring human rights to Myanmar and effect the release of, Nobel Peace Laureate, Augn San Suu Kyi. Martha Montoya (www.LosKitos.com), Sammy Jacobs Abbey (www.youthforhumanrights.org), and Jack Healey (www.humanrightsactioncenter.org).
:: Trade Film screening
On 27 September 2007, Artists for Human Rights hosted at the new Landmark Theatre in Westwood, California a special Los Angeles screening of Roadside Attractions’ film Trade, starring Kevin Kline, directed by Marco Kreuzpainter and produced by Roland Emmerich and Rosiyln Heller. The film is a riveting and heart-touching portrayal of the travesties of human trafficking and the triumph of courage and the human spirit. The screening was attended by a jammed audience of hundreds of guests including the film’s cast members and producer.
Artists for Human Rights International President, Donna Isham, welcomed all guests with an impassioned address calling for greater awareness and action in combating human trafficking abuses, the need for human rights education and the role of artists in carrying this message.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion and an audience Q and A with human trafficking experts including: Dennis Caltron, Founder of the International Mission; Mary Shuttleworth, President of Youth for Human Rights International; Lieutenant Carlos Velez of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Metropolitan Task Force on Human Trafficking; Tommy Calvert of the American Anti-Slavery Group, and actor and director, Michael Corey Davis, director of Cargo: Innocence Lost and Svetlana’s Journey – two award-winning documentaries on human trafficking.
:: International Spokesperson Anne Archer appears on CNN
In March 2007, Anne Archer appears on CNN’s Celebrities and Their Causes – Anne discussed the artist’s responsibility to make a difference by promoting human rights and human rights education. The show aired public service announcements produced by Youth for Human Rights which chronicles each of the thirty human rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The show reached millions of viewers.
:: Martin Luther King Human Rights Hero Event
California School of the Arts: Martin Luther King Human Rights Hero Event – Valencia, California. In January 2007, Artists for Human Rights hosted an evening honoring the ground-breaking human rights work of the California School of Arts. The school has instituted art instruction and projects throughout the Southern California area in under-privileged and economic depressed areas, bringing the hope and inspiration of art where it is so desperately needed. The program has been such an unprecedented success that in areas where its art programs have been instituted, crime statistics have plummeted. The Dean of the School accepted Artists for Human Rights, Human Rights Hero Ward, fittingly in celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday.
:: Human Trafficking Film Screening: Cargo: Innocence Lost
Human Trafficking Film Screening: Cargo: Innocence Lost and Forum – Hollywood, CA. A public screening of this riveting film on human trafficking was presented at Celebrity Center International in January 2007. The screening was standing-room only and attended by the general public, artists, human rights activists and advocacy groups.
Following the screening, a panel discussion with open Q and A with the audience was held with experts from the FBI, ICE and Los Angeles and Orange Counties Human Trafficking Task Forces. Hundreds learned how human trafficking was going on right in their own back yards, and more importantly, concrete effective steps they could take in their own communities that would make a positive difference in combating this egregious human rights abuse.
:: AFHR Southern Africa Launch
January 2007, Grammy Award winning Artists for Human Rights members, Robin and Carol Hogarth launch AFHR in South Africa, attracting a large number of African artists from all walks and disciplines, uniting with the common purpose of making human rights a global reality through the arts.
:: International Human Rights Day Celebration
December 2006, International Human Rights Day Celebration – Los Angeles City Hall. Dignitaries, youth leaders, community leaders, religious leaders and artists celebrated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the steps of City Hall and supported by a City of Los Angeles Proclamation. Hundreds signed a Human Rights Pledge unfurled down the steps of City Hall.
:: International Spokesperson Anne Archer appears on KTLA
:: Morning Show
December 2006, Anne Archer appears with Director of the award-winning documentary, Cargo: Innocence Lost, Michael Corey Davis, on Tribune’s KTLA Morning Show to discuss Human Rights and Human Trafficking. The show, which airs in national segments, tops all network morning shows reaching over 12,000,000 viewers.
Anne showed human rights public service announcements while Michael Corey Davis commented on clips from his gripping film. The hosts were astonished to find how prevalent human trafficking is throughout the United States with estimates of human being trafficked in the United States today, exceeding those before the Civil War. Watch the video
:: Advisory Board member, Nazanin Boniadi, appears on Voice
:: of America
November 2006, Artists for Human Rights Advisory Board member, Nazanin Boniadi, appears on Voice of America. The international broadcast aired to 30,000,000 across the Middle East and Europe. Nazanin has spearheaded the fight for human rights education in the Middle East. Her popularity as a successful actress combined with her Iranian heritage brings together a formidable force for human rights education in an area of the world where it is so needed today.
:: Artists for Human Rights Art Show
October 2006, Artists for Human Rights Art Show – Los Angeles. Artists for Human Rights, Visual Artists brought its dramatic human rights art exhibition to the renowned Johnson Art Collection on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles on the second leg of its international tour. The exhibit was hoisted by Anne Archer and Pomm and was attended by celebrities, media heads and artists from around the country. Art pieces each spoke to a human rights theme and enthralled the hundreds of attendees.
:: International Day of Peace
September 2006, International Day of Peace Event was held in Glendale, CA
:: International Human Rights Art Exhibition – New York City
August 2006, Reception and International Human Rights Art Exhibition – New York City. Artists, dignitaries, United Nations representatives and hundreds of interested public attended a spectacular reception and human rights art exhibit at the famed Westwood Gallery in SoHo New York. Each art piece was inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and evoked a tremendous audience response. Remarks from the curator, James Cavello as well as from Artists for Human Rights’ Founder, Anne Archer, joined those by the United Nations representative to further emphasize the value and need to engage artists in human rights education today.
:: Artists for Human Rights Concert – New York City
August 2006, Artists for Human Rights Concert – New York City. Artists for Human Rights held a human rights open air concert on historic Union Square in New York City. An audience of over 7000 was treated to rousing performances from a number of New York artists including Grammy award winning Richard Hartley’s Soul Resurrection Haven House Choir of Harlem. Performances were intermixed with jumbo screen displays of the human rights public service announcements produced by Youth for Human Rights International. Thousands cheered not only (omit the) individual performances but gave standing ovations to the public service announcements. Broadway performer, Stacy Francis, came home to New York for a grand finale performance that literally had thousands dancing on the square.
:: Youth Summit on Human Rights at the United Nations
August 2006, Youth Summit at the United Nations on Making Human Rights a Global Reality –New York City. Artists for Human Rights participated in the Youth Summit on Human Rights held at the United Nations. The summit sponsored by Youth for Human Rights attracted ambassadors, consulates, human rights advocacies and youth leaders from every continent.
:: Human Rights Hero Awards Ceremony – UN, New York City
August 2006, Human Rights Hero Awards Ceremony – UN, New York City. In celebration of the Summit on Human Rights, Artists for Human Rights Founder, Anne Archer, presented Human Rights Hero Awards to youth leaders from around the world.
:: Human Rights PSAs released by Youth for Human Rights
July 2006, Human Rights PSAs released by Youth for Human Rights and supported by Artists for Human Rights.
:: Artists for Human Rights Launch
July 2006, Artists for Human Rights Launch – Los Angeles, CA . Artists for Human Rights was formally launched in an event at Celebrity Center International in Hollywood, California. Anne Archer, Academy Award-nominated actress and Founder of Artists for Human Rights articulated its purpose of bringing all races, creeds, nationalities and ethnicities together in the common cause of raising awareness of our human rights utilizing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the educational document. She also pointed out the artist’s power and responsibility to make a difference in the human rights arena. “Artists have the ability to change viewpoints on a large scale and in a relatively short period of time. Never has that been more needed than today.”
:: Human Rights Hero Awards – Washington, DC
May 2006, Human Rights Heroes Awards – Washington, DC. Founding members of Artist for Human Rights Anne Archer and Managing Director Michael Wisner attended the Human Rights Hero Awards in Washington, DC at the Rayburn Building. Actress Jenna Elfman presented hero awards to a number of outstanding youth who have brought the human rights message to their diverse communities. Congressman Brad Sherman announced a Congressional Resolution on Human Rights.