Samuel Merrin
The 1990s were a time of dramatic change in the art world, as the market shifted from an established seller's market to one which bent rather suddenly to a more buyer-conducive edge of the tide pool. Major auction houses, such as Sotheby's and Christie's, noticed the change, as did the gaggle of art dealers
Although a stark decline in art prices shook the ancient art world in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a few categories of ancient art escaped the sliding trend. Excitement and a rare vigor surrounded the Latin American and pre-Columbian art arena in those days, and art dealers savvy enough to recognize their opportunity enjoyed a tussle characterized by ardency at a time when hesitation and malaise colored other areas of the market. Samuel Merrin saw opportunity at a Sotheby's auction in November of 1990, and his bids remain noteworthy as an illustration of pre-Columbian art's rare hold on the general art market in those days. Samuel Merrin exceeded house estimates
Why the profound interest in pre-Columbian antiquities? According to Edward Merrin, former director of the Edward H. Merrin Gallery and father to Samuel Merrin, pre-Columbian art owed its rising popularity (particularly in Europe) to its status as “the last area of great art which people other than the ultra
wealthy can afford.” In a market famous for its
exclusivity, the late 1980s to early 1990s saw an expansion
of antiquity collectors of varying levels of wealth, as
pre-Columbian and Latin American art took center stage.
Read more on
Sam Merrin in Rita Reif's full New York Times article.
Samuel Merrin: Merrin Gallery Events
Agahozo Shalom Youth Village
In February of 2008, Samuel Merrin lent the use of his 5th Avenue Gallery for an informational meeting on the subject of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. Rwanda, in 1994, was the site of a catastrophic 100-day genocide, one which ripped violently the seams of the social fabric that had once existed in the African nation. With genocide victims numbering nearly one million, and 1.2 million orphaned children still living in today's Rwanda, the surviving generation is lodged in the crux of an uncertain future. In the aftermath of destruction and massacre, children numbering over one million lack the entire familial and community structure that they had once known: a reality that most could not even imagine.
Enter the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Based on the infrastructure of the Yemin Orde Youth Village, a rebuilding project in Israel's Carmel Mountains, just south of Haifa, the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village mirrors Yemin Orde's consistently sensitive approach to the assistance of displaced orphans, typically marked by substantial trauma. The Yemin Orde Youth Village is dedicated to the provision of support to displaced youth: children who have been forced from their homes, communities, and nations as a result of violence, civil disturbances, war, and other types of destructive unrest. The Yemin Orde Youth village was founded in 1953, originally intended to assist immigrants escaping the events and effect of the Holocaust. Named in the memory of British Major General Orde Charles Wingate, the Yemin Orde Youth Village shelters over 500 children, many of whom have emigrated from widely separated, disparate nations. Yemin Orde's work with the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel has garnered particular attention.
The model institution of Yemin Orde in Israel has helped other youth villages like Agahozo Shalom develop as a unique and independent center.
About Agahozo Shalom
Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is a residential high school that will allow its 500-member student body to heal their bodies and minds in the aftermath of the trauma they have experienced, and also serve to inspire hope in the youth of Rwanda for the future. ASYV founder Anne Heyman explains that each child at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village will be told:
"Yes, you have suffered terribly in your life but you are here because there is a special role for you in this world. You will achieve greatness. You will make a difference in the lives of others. You will make sure that what has happened to you does not happen to your children."
Agahozo Shalom is a place for healing and a place for hope. It is a place where self-value will be stressed and duty to others will be understood.
Agahozo: Dry Their Tears
The traumatized young survivors of the Rwandan genocide have a deep need for healing. The violent tragedy that has befallen the young remainder of the population of Rwanda is difficult, if not impossible, for most in the world to comprehend. The survivors of the genocide need time and resources to gather the shattered pieces of their world, and a major part of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is dedicated to helping facilitate this healing process.
Agahozo translates to "dry their tears," and constitutes the first half of the youth village's name. Through the leadership and community built in the context of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, the adolescent orphans who participate in the program are helped to heal and move forward from the destruction that fell upon their country. Only after they are able to understand and grieve fully will they healthfully be able to move forward with their lives.
H3: Shalom: Live in Peace
The second part of the youth village's name is "shalom," which translates to "live in peace." This second portion of the youth village's name represents the second aim of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. In addition to helping the youth of ASYV heal, the students housed at the village are encouraged to take what they have received at the Village, and use the tools and skills developed there to return to their respective villages and help redevelop Rwanda. The leaders and directors of Agahozo Shalom Youth Village instill in the children they mentor the fundamental need for generosity and the duty to help others. The children of Rwanda can rebuild Rwanda if they are only given the tools necessary to heal, and the skills necessary to inspire others to do the same, allowing the nation as a whole to progress.
About Jean-Pierre Nkuranga
The ASYV event hosted at Samuel Merrin's Merrin Gallery featured a special guest: Jean-Pierre Nkuranga.
Jean-Pierre Nkuranga is the Head of Informal Education at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Jean-Pierre's position of leadership shines particular light on the very nature of the Youth Village's mission statement and infrastructure. Jean-Pierre is a survivor of the Rwandan holocaust, and rose unexpectedly as a leader in the aftermath of the 100-day atrocity. Jean-Pierre became a father figure for his four surviving siblings after he and his siblings became orphaned during the days of destruction, and also came to adopt six other orphans of the neighborhood. At 20 years old, sheltering young children in the aftermath of one of the most violent streaks of terror and civil unrest in all of history is no small feat, and Jean Pierre's courage and steadfastness in the face of unspeakable horror speak volumes as to his inner strength.
Given Jean-Pierre Nkuranga's history of leadership and selflessness, his participation in a program like Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is only natural. ASYV is lucky to have Jean-Pierre as part of its leadership team, and the presence of Rwandan role models like Jean-Pierre help the children who participate in the program to believe in the possibility of a strong Rwanda, built not with the laws and structures of a foreign society, but rebuilt out of the very fabric of the nation of Rwanda. The tapestry of the nation will have changed, but the threads will have remained the same.
Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is built on the idea that change is possible. It is built on a foundation of hope and a forward-thinking outlook. In the words of Anne Heyman, the founder of ASYV:
"It's a drop in a bucket and you build a village and a school and you turn out a hundred kids and then another hundred kids and another hundred kids, and if twenty of those hundred kids that you turn out every year go back to their communities and start a program that helps the people that are there, by the time your school's been around for 20 years you've changed the country."