although i only spent one month in brazil (rio de janeiro area), i feel a strong connection to the people i met there and the places i discovered. so to reminisce a bit, here are my top three connections to brazil that i'd like to brag about...
1. my friend dan whom i met from our year of AmeriCorps VISTA service in paterson, nj. we worked on a project for foster teens aging out of the state foster care system. my year of VISTA service and 2 years of program supervision were filled with 
challenges, lifelong friendships, success stories, amazing teamwork and community projects. and the reason why i still love and work for the city of paterson... but back to dan: he's a jersey boy who visited brazil (with a push from me i think...), fell in love and married a brazilian. now he lives there with his wife and young son, phil. he writes critically in his blog about life as a "foreigner" in brazil... lots of political commentary, art, beautiful photos of brazil and musings on culture. visit http://daddydan.tumblr.com/.
2. my friend and collaborator renato who introduced me to the world of mural art and illustration through his work with street kids in the favelas (slums) of rio. renato's talent in art and illustration can't be described in words. look for yourself at http://renatoalarcao.com.br/. when he moved to newark, nj to pursue a master's degree in illustration, we jumped at the chance to collaborate on mural projects in paterson and passaic. renato taught art classes to teens and younger children, and together with his wife and co-artist rosa, they created an entire curriculum and workshops on book binding and paper making. we also painted a series of murals in the community where poverty takes it toll, attempting to beautify parks, buildings, empty lots & public housing projects. see the above photos of our music themed mural at the riverside housing site.
challenges, lifelong friendships, success stories, amazing teamwork and community projects. and the reason why i still love and work for the city of paterson... but back to dan: he's a jersey boy who visited brazil (with a push from me i think...), fell in love and married a brazilian. now he lives there with his wife and young son, phil. he writes critically in his blog about life as a "foreigner" in brazil... lots of political commentary, art, beautiful photos of brazil and musings on culture. visit http://daddydan.tumblr.com/.2. my friend and collaborator renato who introduced me to the world of mural art and illustration through his work with street kids in the favelas (slums) of rio. renato's talent in art and illustration can't be described in words. look for yourself at http://renatoalarcao.com.br/. when he moved to newark, nj to pursue a master's degree in illustration, we jumped at the chance to collaborate on mural projects in paterson and passaic. renato taught art classes to teens and younger children, and together with his wife and co-artist rosa, they created an entire curriculum and workshops on book binding and paper making. we also painted a series of murals in the community where poverty takes it toll, attempting to beautify parks, buildings, empty lots & public housing projects. see the above photos of our music themed mural at the riverside housing site.
3. last but not least... check out marcos' site, http://www2.uol.com.br/marcoshermes/. he's an amazing photographer whom i met through renato. he travels the world, documenting life and capturing many music gigs. see his photo from cuba, above left.
well, guys, i miss ya! remember jersey loves you...
1 comment:
Thanks, Nick. I appreciate the kind words, and will never forget the time I spent in P-town. Those days will always be special to me, in making me who I am today. Never forget where you came from. you never have, and I am proud to have a friend like you.
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