"Several years ago a mutual friend introduced Freedom from Hunger to Betty, and we fell in love with her art- so full of color and images that capture the spirit of women with whom we work in poverty areas around the world. But Betty is much more than an artist. Her art is an exquisite expression of her passionate concern for the world of people who have been left behind or even run over by the historic rush to "development." She takes another step by using her art to support her social activist mission. Betty did not just allow us, she urged us to use her works to enhance our message. Her sketches from Burkina Faso and Ghana became the centerpiece of our annual report a few years ago, which planted the seed for idea of this book. Perhaps, we thought, Betty could go on the road to all the regions where work and capture in her sketches the dignity and resilience of the people who work so hard just to keep their families alive. Perhaps Betty could also record her observations on how the spirit of "development" is changing, how the spirit exciting new ways of helping people help themselves are emerging in the most unlikely of places. I think she has succeeded beautifully." -Chris Dunford, President, Freedom from Hunger

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BETTY LaDUKE is a painter who resides in Ashland, Oregon, where she teaches at Southern Oregon State College. She has traveled in the United States, Latin America, Asia and Africa to complete her series of books: Companeras: Women, Art and Social Change in Latin America; Women Artists: Multi-Cultural Visions; Africa Through the Eyes of Women Artists; and Africa: Women's Art, Women's Lives.

CATEGORY
Art, Cultural Studies/AFRICA