The final stage of an ambitious cross-border art project begins today as a group of children present the President, Mrs Mary McAleese, with a silk painting depicting a unique Smile to the Worldbanner.
A goodwill gesture in response to the events of September 11th in the US, the Smile to the Worldproject draws from the artistic reflections of over 130,000 children.
Launched before Christmas, children from the North and South of Ireland were asked create happy pictures from their own lives as gifts of compassion to those who suffered tragedy and loss in the terror attacks. From over two miles of artwork, 2,000 images have been selected which will be combined into a single banner image of a rainbow (100" x 18") by photomontage technology.
As a replica silk banner is handed to President McAleese this afternoon, the project’s creative team will be working on the banner to ensure it is finished by May.
Primary school children from St Patrick’s NS in Calry, Co Sligo; Muslim NS in Roebuck in Dublin; South Abbey NS in Youghal, Co Cork; Mill strand Integrated Primary School in Portrush Co Antrim and St Joseph’s School in Tallaght, Dublin will gather at Áras an Uachtaráin for the ceremony. They will be joined by a number of volunteers working on the project.
The brain-child of former primary school teacher, Mr Kevin Farrell, and engineer/designer, Mr Brian Cumiskey, the project evolved into a full-time occupation.
"The project has developed into something we could never have known. Everyone we have approached has responded positively," Mr Cumiskey said.
Among those who have pledged their support are Mr John Hume, South African Ambassador to Ireland, Ms Melanie Verwored; Cardinal Desmond Connell; Archbishop Walton Empey; Chief Rabbi Dr Yaakov Pearlman; and leader of the Islamic community Imam Yahya-Al-Hussein.
When completed the banner will be unveiled in Dublin next Month at a ceremony where replica banners will be presented to foreign ambassadors in Ireland. They will be asked to bring these back to their countries so the goodwill message is extended around the globe, Mr Cumiskey said.
Over the next three weeks, the banner will be exhibited in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Belfast, Derry and Galway before going on tour of America.