07.11.06
Barefoot Artists receive SEGD Design Honor Award - The Rwanda Healing Project

Alan Jacobson, prinicpal of environmental graphic design firm, AGS,and design research firm, ex;it, was honored with a Design Award for 2006 by The Society of Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) for his work with The Rwanda Healing Project.

The Rwanda Healing Project is a Barfefoot Artists collaboration.whereby Alan Jacobson and  Lily Yeh of Barefoot Artists, Friends of the Survivors Village in Cyanzarwe District, and Rwanda developed a 2 – year community art program in which drawing and mural painting workshops are held for residents of the Survivors Village.

These workshops focus on helping children and adults tell stories through words and images as well as develop acquired skills that can be applied to home improvement and building projects within their community. All residents of the village are refugees left homeless and survivors of the genocide that has occurred in Rwanda in 1994

A member of the Design Award Program jury said, “Simple processes used to educate, heal, build leadership, and better the lives of these survivors should be a call to all who practice in the field of environmental grahic design.”

Barefoot Artists was founded by Lily Yeh, and is based on her 20 years of experience using art for community building, empowerment and economic development in inner city North Philadelphia and in poor communities internationally.

back