Let's Bring a Nepalese Mural Artist to Eugene!

In advance of the 2021 international track and field championships, the City of Eugene is commissioning the creation of public murals. EKSCA is talking with the City about bringing an artist from Nepal to paint one of those murals. UO students Anudeep Dewan and Dristi Manandhar gave us entrée into the Kathmandu art community and we have collected portfolios from mural artists. We will make a more formal proposal to the City in January.

If you think bringing an artist from Nepal to paint a public mural is a good idea, please send a supporting email to Isaac Marquez, Public Art Manager, at isaac.r.marquez@ci.eugene.or.us .

First EKSCA Tour of Nepal a Success

 In November, eight intrepid travelers went on a two-week EKSCA tour of Nepal. Starting and ending in Kathmandu, the group went to Bhaktapur, Gorkha, Pokhara, Lumbini, and Chitwan. The tour was led by Harvey Blustain, EKSCA’s president, whose experience in Nepal goes back to his days as an anthropologist in the 1970s.

The highlight of the tour was a visit to Dharapani, the village in Gorkha district where Harvey and Malinda had volunteered for two years as teachers in the local school. Off the tourist track, Dharapani gave people a sense of life in village Nepal.

We also visited the community hospital at Ampipal, where Harvey Blustain presented Babu Ram Giri, the hospital administrator, with $200 on behalf of EKSCA. The hospital was badly damaged during the 2015 earthquake.

The weather was perfect, people were welcoming, and the logistics were flawless (thank you Rabi Thapa and Sacred Summits). Most of the group had not been to Nepal before, and they all left thinking that Nepal is pretty terrific.

Three members of the group were so smitten with Nepal that they have contributed to EKSCA. Some of those funds will be directed to Ampipal Hospital. Thank you Bill Klupenger, Julie  Bryant and Bill Roach!