VIEW STUDENT SURGERY UPDATE BELOW — FUNDS NEEDED ASAP

Message from Charles "Art" Jerry, Founder of Art School Jerry

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening to all who have supported Art School Jerry since its founding in 2016. I feel and appreciate how deeply you value the work we do to share and celebrate Haitian culture.

It is with great difficulty that I write to you today. Art School Jerry has been severely destroyed by a fire in our area of Port-au-Prince, caused by ongoing violence nearby. Homes and buildings in the neighborhood were affected, and the school was not spared. Of the more than 3,000 paintings in our care, both on display and in storage, we do not yet know how many have been lost or damaged.

Because of this, the school cannot reopen in Port-au-Prince. We are now working to relocate Art School Jerry to a safer area in the countryside, in Jacmel, Haiti. This move will allow me to continue the work I began in 2016 and rebuild the school together with my students in a secure environment. However, Jacmel is much more expensive, and we need support to make this possible.

This GoFundMe has been created to help us:

1. Secure a safe new space in Jacmel; renting the first year will cost us $8,000

2. Rebuild the school and replace lost materials. Any additional funds will go towards student supplies.

3. Support students as we transition to a new location I need a short period to recover and plan the next steps, as my health has also been affected. Nevertheless, I am committed to rebuilding and continuing this work with my students.

Please, if you are able, support us and share this campaign. Your help means everything to us. I will continue to share updates, photos, and videos as they become available.

With gratitude, Charles “Art” Jerry

Still image from footage of a neighbor of the school who lost his home in the fire.