The other Haiti: Local Haiti relief worker shares images of beauty

Aaron Funk, a local relief worker, recently returned from his ongoing rebuilding work in Haiti with an arsenal of images that he reports “will melt your heart.”  On Saturday, May 29, Funk is hosting a fundraiser, where he will take guests on a photographic journey through post-earthquake Haiti.

“We will be hosting an exposition dedicated to the untold story of beauty and resilience that is the island and its people,” says Funk of the Saturday event. A slide show and brief presentation chronicling his recent trip will be followed by dinner, as well as dancing to music from various Haitian artists.

The event starts at 7 p.m. at 19 Carolina Lane in downtown Asheville. A $5 suggested donation is requested. Art-quality prints of Funk’s Haiti photos will be offered for sale, with proceeds going toward a return trip to Haiti, and to benefit Funk’s emergency response team, the American Rainbow Rapid Response, for the 2010 Hurricane season. Once Funk has returned to his relief mission, he plans to plant fruit trees in Jacmel, as well as build a theater for the people of the area to use as performance space.

“Jacmel is the sister city to New Orleans and was built by the same designers in the same period,” says Funk. “It is also the cultural center of Haiti, hosting the largest carnival of artists, performers and musicians. It has no theatre at this time.” Funk feels that building a theater for the people of Haiti, who he describes as “full of joy,” will instill a sense of normalcy in their lives.

For more information about Funk’s mission, call (727)458-2579

Aaron Funk

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “The other Haiti: Local Haiti relief worker shares images of beauty

  1. Aaron Funk

    Hi there and thank you for all that you do.

    The show is actually on the 29th @ 7pm.

    Mesi Anpil

    A. Funk

Leave a Reply to Piffy! ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.