Artists Come Together To Support Haiti

More than 40 prominent East End artists will band together, using the name “Hamptons Artists For Haiti,” to raise funds for a much-needed children’s school in Haiti at this year’s Wings Over Haiti benefit and art auction.

The plan is to rebuild a school in the remote, agricultural village of Ranquitte. A school which once stood in this location held 400 students. The new school plans to accommodate 160 students from pre-K through high school. Currently, the children who will utilize this facility must travel over 30 miles to the second nearest school.

Now in its second year, the Wings Over Haiti fundraising event, which will be held on Saturday, June 30, at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, expects to surpass the $30,000 raised at last year’s event.

The art show is curated by Coco Myers of Folioeast in East Hampton and gives the community the opportunity to buy artwork by notable local artists, at a good price, and for a great cause.

Artists include Shari Abramson, Philippe Cheng, Scott Farrell, Sue Heatley, Janet Jennings, Dennis Leri, Michael McDowell, and Larry Wolhandler, among many others.

This will be the second school to be built by Wings Over Haiti, a non-profit organization founded by Jonathan Nash Glynn. Glynn is a Sag Harbor artist and pilot who flew medical supplies to Haiti in his private plane following the devastating earthquake in 2010.

During his trip to Haiti, Glynn helped raise funds to build a school for 137 children near the capital of Port-au-Prince. Long Island schools such as Bridgehampton, Southampton, and Port Jefferson, have helped out, providing school supplies and hosting clothing drives.

Besides education, the school will provide students with two meals each day and medical attention.

On a recent trip in March to the location, Glynn was joined by East Hampton advertising executive Arthur Bijur and 18-year-old Ross School student Ted Morency.

Morency was born in Haiti and had not returned since he was five years old. He has raised more than $20,000 for the new school.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 PM and offer drinks and hors d’oeuvres catered by the Sea Bean. There will be live music by Solar Wind, Dee Green, Rick Salter, and Matt Ellison. Guests can also participate in the raffle which includes fine dining, airplane tours, yoga classes, and more.

Tickets are $150 and can be purchased by visiting www.wingsoverhaiti.net. All profits will go toward the new school.

jessica@indyeastend.com