Balancing Act
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October 29, 2007
Thirteen-Year-Old from AGBU Children's Center Wins UN Art Competition
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Mariam Marukyan in front of her prize-winning painting. -
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Renata Kaczmarska, Associate Social Affairs Officer of UN, Social Policy and Development Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and UN Assistant Secretary-General Rachel Mayanja (right) present Mariam Marukyan.
Watch a Video Report of Nork Children's Center art student winning UN stamp competition HERE (0:48)
On October 17, 2007, at an awards ceremony held at the New York Headquarters of the United Nations (UN), 13-year-old Mariam Marukyan from the AGBU Nork Children's Center in Yerevan, Armenia was awarded top prize in the International Children's Art Competition organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Department of Public Information (DPI) and UN Postal Administration.
In commemoration of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Marukyan was one of six winners whose artwork was selected from a pool of 12,000 applicants for best depicting the theme of the competition, "We can end poverty. To be issued as a UN stamp in 2008, Marukyan's work was also on display in a special exhibit of the 50 best designs in the Visitor's Entrance of the UN.
In addition to Mariam's great achievement, two other young artists from the AGBU Nork Children's Center, Ahahit Martirosian, age 11, and Lusine Nersisyan, age 14, were awarded Merit Certificates for their work, which was also on display at the UN. In total, 475 entries came from Armenia for the competition; Ellada Khachatryan, age 11, was awarded a Certificate of Recognition. Ten entries from Armenia in total were recognized by the judges during the competition.
Teresa Fasolina, an illustrator and judge of the contest, reflected on the children's work, "Always engaging, often skillful beyond expectation and sometimes revealing of a national style or tradition, the artwork embodies the hopes and dreams of the world's children for the eradication of poverty.
Hosted by the UN, and the International Movement ATD Fourth World in the UN Garden, the afternoon program was kicked off with an address by Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, followed by personal testimonies from people living in extreme poverty, live music, a discussion of children as agents of change, and the awards ceremony for the contest winners.
Presenting Marukyan and the four other top winners in attendance from China, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe with certificates, UN Assistant Secretary-General Rachel Mayanja said, "Through their artwork, the children show us, in a pure and powerful way, the pressing need for greater solidarity and cooperation among all peoples and countries in the fight against poverty.
Marukyan, who lives with her grandmother near Yerevan, is a positive voice for a new generation of Armenian children. Her vibrant artwork depicts people of all ages producing a plentiful harvest in the fields together. She explains her picture, "In my mind, work will help people live fairly. That is why, in my picture, I depict people working in the garden. They have worked hard and their harvest is rich.
October 17, 2007 marked the 20th anniversary of the commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This annual observance is a time for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to come together and reflect on how the forces that create poverty can be changed.
Marukyan's visit to the United States with teacher Ruzana Hakopyan was made possible by AGBU and the Permanent Mission of Armenia. For more information on the competition and to view the artwork, please visit www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/art/index.html.
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