Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Leonora Wiener (212) 266-2255 (ACS)
"There is no better subject for a photographer than New York City," Mayor Giuliani said. "The magnificence of our City's skyline reflects the energy, creativity and talent of New Yorkers -- the ingenuity and innovation that has made New York City the Capital of the World.
"There are still many challenges we have to face together. Perhaps the greatest and most important of these challenges is to ensure that the children of this City have the love and support they need to reach their full potential. That is why today, I am very proud to announce that proceeds from this exhibit will benefit New Yorkers for Children, a wonderful organization that will improve the quality of life of our City's children in foster care," the Mayor added.
Commissioner Scoppetta said, "In New York City alone, there are nearly 42,000 children who have been removed from unsafe environments. New Yorkers for Children is a wonderful organization that provides some of the important extras that enrich the lives of our foster children. I thank the Mayor for his generous donation that will benefit this city's foster children."
Joining Mayor Giuliani and Commissioner Scoppetta at today's event were Roger Horn, President of Leica Camera USA, Jay and Rose Deutsch Co-Owners of the Leica Gallery and Joan Morgan, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Children.
The Mayor's 23 color and black & white photographs are on view at the Leica Gallery from May 8th to June 13th. The photographs depict various cityscapes and were taken over the last year and a-half. Also on display at the Leica Gallery is "Vintage New York" featuring photographs from the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's taken by Bernice Abbott, Margaret Bourke-White, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Leonard Freed, Walter Iooss, Carl Mydans, Peter Stackpole and Weegee. The Leica Gallery's Oskar Barnack Room will highlight a selection of photographs of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.
New Yorkers for Children is a not-for-profit organization that provides a wide variety of enrichment programs aimed at promoting the full intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development of New York City's foster children. These programs include after-school recreational activities that supplement the school's curricular offerings, summer camps and jobs that build new skills and offer leadership opportunities, college scholarships for those who graduate from foster care at age 18, and career counseling to provide meaningful alternatives to a life on the streets.
New Yorkers for Children operates in concert with the Administration for Children's Services, which was created in 1996 by Mayor Giuliani as New York City's first free-standing government agency charged with the task of protecting children.
Individuals seeking more information on New Yorkers for Children should call (212) 899-5436 or write to New Yorkers for Children at 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1400, New York, NY 10036. All contributions to New Yorkers for Children are tax-deductible.