‐ Renowned artists create model‐scale houses that will be exhibited and auctioned to raise awareness and funds to help the millions living in extreme poverty in Latin America

ARTecho, an event created by Un Techo para mi País (TECHO), a nonprofit organization led by university students and young professionalsthat works to eradicate extreme poverty in Latin America, was held last night. TECHO invited 19 leading Latin American artists, from 10 different countries, to render a 16 x 8 inch scale model of the transitional houses built by the NGO.

The result: 19 works of art. The art pieces will be exhibited and auctioned to raise funds to build houses for the most excluded families in the continent.
This is a different proposal for Art Basel, where art collectors can see renowned artists working in a different context and with a diverse purpose. On November 28th a reception was held at Wynwood Walls, a fashionable venue in Miami’s “Design District.”

This was the first time the 19 houses were exhibited. Business leaders from the Miami community were present to support TECHO. The event included Felipe Viel (Telefutura) as host, who encouraged the public to make their first offers. The ARTecho exhibition included house intervened by Argentineans Jorge Macchi, Marta Minujín, Leandro Erlich, Liliana Porter, Amalia Pica and Agustina Woodgate, Brazilian Rosana Ricalde; Chileans Iván Navarro, Magdalena Atria, and Josefina Guilisasti; Colombian Miler Lagos; Guatemalan Darío Escobar; Uruguayans Marta Chilindrón and Ana Tiscornia; Venezuelan Emilia Azcárate; Puerto Rican Karlo Andrei Ibarra; Cubans Enrique Martínez Celaya and Ernesto Oroza and American Robert Chambers. Diego Costa Peuser (Art Day/PINTA Art Show) is the Art Director of
ARTecho.

Ignacio Gonzalez, CEO of TECHO ‐ USA, said: “ARTecho is an innovative Project that seeks to give ART Basel a new perspective. To end poverty and exclusion, it is necessary to involve society as a whole.
This time, Latin American artists used their creativity and sensitivity to show us how through art, we can build a better continent.”

According to Diego Costa Peuser, Art Director of the event, “ARTecho arises as a cultural initiative to support TECHO’s pressing mission, which is to bridge the social gap between opportunities and those living in extreme poverty conditions.”

Ella Fontanals‐Cisneros, Rosade la Cruz, SolitaMishaan, Isaac Lee, EduardoCostantini and Violy McCausland, among others form the Host Committee. Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College, also part of the Committee stated, “ARTecho is more than just art for the sake of beauty. It is art with a social conscience. It is a wonderful idea using beauty as a call to action for much needed basic housing.”

“We must face inequality and social injustice together. This is why initiatives such as those of Un Techo para mi País are so necessary”‐ said Amalia Pica, one of the artists involved.

ASSIST‐CARD was the main sponsor of ARTecho, while Porsche and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation also supported the event. “TECHO seeks to improve the quality of life for millions across Latin America, not only on a shortterm basis but on a long term, and ASSIST‐CARD is together with
them in this visión of a Latin America without poverty” said Keglevich, CEO of ASSIST‐CARD.
Matthias Brück, CEO of Porsche Latin America Inc., stated: “TECHO are innovators, just like Porsche, and we are impressed with this youth‐based organization that is so highly motivated, making a tremendous difference with a simple idea. We see a bit of our spirit in their work. They are pioneers that go against the flow. Our goal is to create awareness and be an extensión and facilitator of the great job Un Techo para mi País is already doing.”

The 19 pieces reflect different worldviews. Inequality in Access to resources, willingness to double their support efforts, mobilization of civil society, and outrage of the injustice of poverty, are some of the issues addressed by the art pieces. The exhibition will be on display on November 29th and 30th at Gary Nader’s Fine Art Gallery.

The auction of the pieces will take place on December 1st at 5:00 pm at the same location. All proceeds will benefit the foundation, Un Techo Para Mi País.

Miami, FL. The event, which took place at the restaurant Novecento, last Wednesday, March 23rd, gathered important tennis players, such as Juan Mónaco, Gabriela Sabatini, Nicolás Lapenti, Guillermo Cañas and Juan Ignacio Chela, among others, who, along with entrepreneurs and the Latin-American community in Miami supported the work of Un Techo para mi País.

Thanks to the effort of the participants, the organization was able to raise funds for an emergency house for 25 families living in extreme poverty in the continent.

“We are working together with families that have never asked for gifts, only opportunities. As young people that have had access to these opportunities we have the responsibility to work with them and give them the minimum: a roof,” said Rafael Achondo, 26, Director of Development UTPMP.

The dinner is part of some of the work that the organization has been carrying on in the United States, where UTPMP has a team focused on raising funds.

The event was possible thanks to the support of Novecento, DHL, LAN, Kepel&Mata, ASSIST-CARD, Goldman Sachs, Bodega del fin del Mundo and Newlink-Group, who actively participated in the dinner.

Download the Press Release

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Some of the world’s greatest tennis players will come together in Miami, FL at Novecento in Brickell for a dinner to raise fund for  ”Un Techo para mi Pais.”

The event, “Break Point: Let’s win the match against poverty” will count with the presence of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Feliciano López, Fernando Verdasco, David Nalbandian y Juan Martin Del Potro, amongst many other and will take place on March 23rd.

Various artists who support the organization will join the tennis stars in selecting where to direct the donations which will turn into life changing transitional houses for Latin American families living in extreme poverty.

Between December 15 – 19 all Google Chrome users, from anywhere in the world, would be able to collaborate with Un Techo para mi País. To participate, you only have to follow these steps:

1. Have a gmail account.
2. Download Google Chrome.
3. Download “Google Chrome for a Cause Extension”. This extension will tell you how many time have you opened during the day.
4. Once you have Google Chrome and the Cause Extension installed, sign in your gmail account and browse the web and each tab you open will accumulate points. At midnight, or the first time you open Google Chrome the next day, the extension will ask you  which cause you wish to support. Choose “Square feet for Shelter” to support Un Techo.
5. Browse with Google Chrome and open tabs everyday until december 19.

For every 100 tabs, you will be donating 1 dolar, which you can share with your friends and invite more people to do it.