“Israel agrees to ease Gaza land blockade - Stamford Advocate” plus 3 more

Israel agrees to ease Gaza land blockade - Stamford Advocate
U.S. museum leads cultural recovery in Port-au-Prince - Canada East
Tesla Roadster Reaches China's Great Wall - Newsblaze.com
West African Heritage & History Explored on Crystal Voyage - Earthtimes

Israel agrees to ease Gaza land blockade - Stamford Advocate

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 04:48 AM PDT

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U.S. museum leads cultural recovery in Port-au-Prince - Canada East

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 03:32 PM PDT

WASHINGTON - Haiti's recovery from the devastating earthquake in January requires more than rebuilding structures, but also repairing tattered paintings and cultural objects still buried in the rubble, the Caribbean nation's first lady Elisabeth Preval said Thursday.

She visited the Smithsonian Institution to open an exhibit of children's artwork created after the earthquake, calling it a reminder that Haiti still needs help. The paintings and drawings will be on view through the summer. She also discussed the importance of an effort by the U.S. museum complex to lead a cultural recovery effort in Port-au-Prince, where there are few, if any, professionally trained art conservators.

"This is fundamental for our nation," Preval told The Associated Press during her Washington visit. "This is our cultural heritage. This is us."

The Smithsonian leased a building in Haiti's capital that once housed the United Nations Development Programme to create a conservation centre where experts from U.S. museums can repair artworks and train Haitians to perform the intricate restoration work.

The first paintings were taken to the centre last week. Experts carefully began vacuuming destructive dust from the paintings, repairing tears and "inpainting" damaged areas so it appears nothing happened, Smithsonian conservator Hugh Shockey wrote on his blog.

As many as 10,000 paintings and sculptures by Haitian masters were buried when the Musee d'Art Nader collapsed in the earthquake, said Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian's undersecretary for history, art and culture. Thousands of other objects are buried elsewhere, tracing Haiti's struggle for independence, its abolition of slavery and other cultural milestones.

"Imagine in the United States ... if every Smithsonian museum collapsed, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the White House, the U.S. Congress all collapsed," Kurin said. "At some point we'd probably say it's worth pulling out the Star-Spangled Banner, the Declaration of Independence."

The oldest objects to be recovered date back to Haiti's indigenous people from before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

Some artifacts have been recovered by hand. Others will require sophisticated engineering and heavy equipment.

Murals painted on the walls of the Episcopal Holy Trinity Cathedral that depict scenes from the Bible have been a central focus. They date to prominent artists from the 1950s and are cherished as part of Haiti's cultural heritage. Some crumbled with the church but at least four remain mostly intact and can be saved, Kurin said. Experts are still trying to determine how.

The effort has been primarily funded with private dollars. The Broadway League trade association made the largest gift of $276,000, while the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Sciences contributed $30,000 each. Smithsonian officials are working to raise more money to sustain the effort, Kurin said.

The involvement of U.S. cultural agencies also is a response to the looting of Iraqi treasures in 2003. Broadway producer Margo Lion, who co-chairs the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, said cultural recovery is a priority after Americans were accused of neglecting cultural preservation during the invasion of Iraq.

Conservators plan to turn over most of the work to Haitian professionals by November 2011.

During her visit to Washington, Preval helped open an exhibit of 100 paintings and drawings by Haitian children after the earthquake with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. They will be on view through October.

Art has provided healing for children as a way for them to express their emotions, Preval said.

"My dream and my hope is to make sure the world does not forget Haiti," Preval said of the exhibit. She hopes it can help draw more support to overhaul Haiti's schools, beginning with early childhood education, she said.

The display includes paintings by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice-President Joe Biden, from their April visit to Port-au-Prince. At the direction of a 5-year-old boy, Obama painted a colourful fish and Biden painted a house.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival beginning June 24 on the National Mall also will feature artists from Haiti. Some of their work will be sold to benefit Haiti's cultural revival.

____

Online:

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art:http://africa.si.edu

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Tesla Roadster Reaches China's Great Wall - Newsblaze.com

Posted: 14 Jun 2010 07:15 AM PDT

BEIJING - (BUSINESS WIRE) - A Tesla Roadster traveling around the world has arrived at the Great Wall of China, the most iconic cultural landmark of the eight-month road trip.

During the Roadster's stop last week at one section of the 8,852-kilometer Great Wall, one of China's most respected actors took a spin. Chen Dao Ming is best known for his role in "Hero," and he stars in "Aftershock," which debuts this summer.

Beijing was the eighth stop in the "Odyssey of Pioneers," the first round-the-world tour by a zero-emission car. The 37,000-kilometer voyage by Tesla Motors and Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer includes public and VIP events in 15 cities on three continents.

In May, the Roadster appeared for the first time in India and was hosted in Jaipur by His Royal Highness Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur, the last maharaja of Jaipur -- Rajasthan's most significant political, cultural and religious figure. Before that, the Roadster became the first non-Russian car to get official clearance to park in Moscow's Red Square.

Throughout India, Russia, China and other countries en route, the Roadster charges from conventional outlets using existing infrastructure. The TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster has charged from standard outlets at hotels, a solar panel array in Italy and even at a barn in rural Switzerland, demonstrating the versatility and ease of charging. Fans can follow the Odyssey online and on Facebook.

About Tesla

Tesla's goal is to produce increasingly affordable electric cars to mainstream buyers - relentlessly driving down the cost of EVs. Palo Alto, CA-based Tesla has delivered more than 1000 Roadsters to customers in North America, Europe and Asia. Tesla designs and manufactures EVs and EV powertrain components. It is currently the only automaker in the U.S. that builds and sells highway-capable EVs in serial production. The Tesla Roadster accelerates faster than most sports cars yet produces no emissions. Tesla Service Rangers make house calls to service Roadsters.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6325949&lang=en

Tesla Motors
Rachel Konrad, +44 (0)7872 543 250

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West African Heritage & History Explored on Crystal Voyage - Earthtimes

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- As cultural and heritage tours become increasingly popular in West Africa, luxury specialist Crystal Cruises has set more than a dozen shoreside options in Senegal, Ghana, Togo and Principe for Crystal Serenity's "African Adventurer" voyage departing Cape Town April 17, 2011.

With its return to West Africa for the first time since 2001, Crystal is offering guests opportunities to explore the culture, art, nature and, of course, the slave trade that dominated the region for centuries. Showcasing authentic West African life, past and present, the excursions highlight traditions from voodoo to agriculture, plus the dense rainforests and European influences throughout the area.

"West Africa offers extraordinary and truly unique encounters, with a remarkable balance between its dark history in the slave trade and the warm, welcoming people eager to share their culture with travelers," says John Stoll, vice president, land and port operations.

Along with a new excursion from Cape Town, South Africa to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, adventures ashore in West Africa include:

Dakar, Senegal ? Goree Slave Island, a World Heritage Site and epicenter of the slave trade;

Dakar, Senegal ? Lake Retba, known as "Pink Lake" due to the distinct hue of the water; visit to the surrounding villages of lake's salt harvesters;

Lome, Togo ? Traditional voodoo ceremony in the village of Sanguera and a visit to the market locals frequent for items thought to ward off evil; and

Takadori, Ghana ? Kakum National Park, a dense rainforest with breathtaking indigenous plants and creatures, and a 100-foot-high canopy walkway.

Part of Crystal Serenity's epic World Cruise, the 21-day voyage visits Cape Town, South Africa; Walvis Bay, Namibia; Bom Bom Island, Principe; Lome, Togo; Takoradi, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; and Lisbon, Portugal en route to London.

For bookings made by September 30, 2010, per person, promotional Two-for-One cruise fares start at $9,925 (double occupancy), and include $1,000 'All Inclusive ? As You Wish' shipboard credits, complimentary air transportation from many North American gateways (or $1,400 cruise-only credit), plus 20% savings on virtually any 2011 or 2012 cruise. Guests paying in full six months in advance save an additional 2.5%.

For more information or Crystal reservations, contact a travel agent, call 888-799-4625, or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

VISIT: Crystal?s Media Center

SOURCE Crystal Cruises

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