Young artist's work helps needy kids
Unicef card - Linda Yu's "Joy" illustration beats out thousands to be one of two the agency selects
Thursday, November 23, 2006
CASSADY JEREMIAS The work of a young Lake Oswego artist will grace the front of a greeting card sold at a national chain store this season, with proceeds helping kids around the globe.
Linda Yu, 12, is one of two winners in the 2006 Pier1/Weekly Reader Unicef Greeting Card Contest. Her colored pencil drawing of the word "Joy," along with the work of Iowa student Annie Burbach, beat out thousands of applicants. Their designs will appear on cards that raise money for Unicef, which supports the work of the United Nations Children's Fund, and sold at Pier 1.
The Lake Oswego Junior High School student has been studying at the Jiao Ying Chinese Culture and Arts School, affiliated with Portland State University, for about a year and a half. She takes her weekly sessions at Ying's home.
Her mother, Julia Fei, is very proud of her daughter's work but says she's lucky. "She is very creative, the other people in the class tell me that she is creative," Fei says.
The contest prize included a trip to New York for Linda, her parents and younger sister. The family had lunch at U.N. headquarters, where Linda received her award. They caught a Broadway show and participated in the Snowflake Lighting Ceremony with Unicef ambassador and singer, Clay Aiken. But it was Linda who said she felt famous.
"When they gave us the award everyone was clapping, people were asking me to sign their cards. Newspaper reporters were calling me, it's amazing, it kind of feels like you are a celebrity, but the best part is that you are trying to help people, my art is helping people."
Linda received $500 in spending money. And, via cell phone from New York, she has some ideas on how she'll use it.
"I think that shopping is always fun. We're having fun going around New York, but I think I am going to buy more of my cards. I think people should buy them, too, because it's a way you can have family and friends do something nice and help a good cause."
Unicef programs keep the public informed on children's issues worldwide and are funded by donations as well as by the sale of greeting cards. Linda says she was surprised to win because she wasn't really trying, but she's delighted to be able to help others in this way.
"They are helping all the children who aren't born so lucky. If we are born lucky and have the money to give, I think we are all obliged to give to some charities. And they are helping all the children so you know it is going to a good cause," she says. "Children are our future, and also people younger than I am, we're all going to build the future."
The OregonianUNICEF holiday cards are available at some Hallmark Gold Crown stores, at Pier 1 stores, and on the UNICEF website.
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