Meet the students and organizers, Sunday, May 26 in Old City, Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. May 21, 2002 - MYX: Multicultural Youth eXchange, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization, who's mission is to facilitate cross-cultural communication among youth around the world through technology and the arts, announces that four high school students from Philadelphia will travel to Iceland on an innovative art-based program.

The MYX Youth Artist Exchange is a new weeklong program that brings students from two different cultures together through their common interest in art. This year's Youth Artist Exchange will focus on how the dramatic Icelandic landscape has shaped Icelandic culture, and consequently, Icelandic art. The program will culminate with the creation of a collaborative piece of artwork that represents the viewpoints of both the American and Icelandic students. This work will be shown at the Hitt Husid Gallery in Reykjavik and subsequently at the MYX Gallery in Old City, Philadelphia later this year.

Traveling with the four ethnically diverse teen artists will be nationally renowned, landscape artist Diane Burko. Diane is best known locally for her acclaimed mural of the Wissahickon located in the lobby of the Marriot Hotel Philadelphia.

In order to provide an opportunity to students who would not normally have the means, MYX has offered full scholarships to two of the students, Jamile Wilson, 16 and Mike Trihn, 16. Representing Philadelphia's Village of Arts and Humanities and Asian Arts Initiative respectively, both will be traveling abroad for the first time.

"I feel like this should be a good experience for me," said Mike Trihn, a first generation American whose parents emigrated from Vietnam. "I would like to see how life is outside the United States -- to see how lucky we might be to have something they might not. Hopefully this trip will help me overall as a person."

18 year old, Kassandra Bankovich, also traveling abroad for the first time, adds, "I would like to become more in tune with the rest of the world, instead of just thinking about America all the time. We are not the only ones out there."

Activities scheduled for the American and Icelandic students include landscape workshops en plein air in Iceland's geographically stunning Landmannalaugar and Thingvellir National Parks, visits to museums, galleries and artists' studios in Reykjavik, and art lectures by Burko and local artists. There will also be social activities scheduled in Reykjavik and at the Blue Lagoon, a hot spring located in one of Iceland's many geothermal areas.

"We hope that after both groups of students complete the program, they will come away with a better understanding and appreciation of each other's culture and country," said MYX Co-founder and Director, Josette Bonafino. "The ultimate goal is to create friendships through art."

"With September 11 still very much in the minds of Americans, we believe it's very important that young people worldwide understand and respect each other's cultures," added Ian Cross, MYX co-founder and CEO of I-SITE, an internet development firm located in Philadelphia.

The Youth Artist Exchange has been made possible by the kind support of Icelandair, Iceland Saga Travel of New Jersey and Isafold Travel of Gardabaer, Iceland. The students fly from Baltimore on Thursday, June 13 and return on Friday, June 21.

There will be a one-time opportunity to meet Diane Burko and the four students before the trip at 2pm on Sunday, May 26 at the offices of I-SITE located at 15 South Third Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia.

Future Youth Artist Exchanges are being considered to West Africa, the Navajo Nation in Arizona, and Israel.

ABOUT MYX
MYX: Multicultural Youth exchange [www.myxworld.org] is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit dedicated to facilitating cross-cultural communication among youth around the world through technology and the arts. MYX was formed in direct response to the tragedies of September 11, 2001 in order to promote global tolerance.

MYX programs for 2002 include the recently opened MYX Gallery at 110 Church Street, Philadelphia, the Youth Artists Exchange to Iceland, and the first MYX Student Conference of Global Tolerance & Friendship, to be held in Philadelphia on Friday, October 4.

For more information, contact:
Lori Bookbinder
Tattar Cutler-DBC
215-957-0300 ext. 236
lbookbinder@dbcommunications.cc

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© 2002 - 2004 Multicultural Youth eXchange.