7/18/2008: Posted in Dan's Papers

Montauk Artist Builds a School for Children - in Nicaragua

By Debbie Tuma

(7/18/2008)    When Pope Noell, a 20-year artist of Montauk, dreamed about building a school for children in Nicaragua, he never dreamed it could become a reality. But with some financial help from an artist friend, Frank Roccanova of Amagansett, and much dogged determination, he saw his dream come true when the school opened this past February.

On July 12, thanks to more support from their fellow artists of East Hampton, Noell and Roccanova managed to raise almost $40,000 at a benefit for Una Escuelita, a school for children that teaches subjects through the use of art.

"For roughly the same cost as a private high school in the Hamptons, $18,000 a year, we can send 30-45 kids to Escuelita for a year," said Noell. "After opening this school last year, we had no idea how many kids were going to come, so we needed this extra funding to stay open."

On July 12, Pope and Roccanova were joined by about 20 other local artists, each of whom donated one or more paintings or sculptures for a silent auction. The benefit was held at the waterfront Springs home of Ann and John Mullen, who are avid art collectors. Money was also raised from ticket sales, at $100 per ticket.

Lynn Blumenfeld of Montauk, who is an advisor to the Una Escuelita school board, helped to organize this benefit with Erica Broberg Smith and Paula Schiff, both of East Hampton.

"We knew that Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the world, and we knew we had to have a fundraiser in the Hamptons," she said. "We decided to get everything donated, from the auction items, to the food, to the house and the catering staff, which was mostly provided by volunteers." The food was donated by Exquisite Food.

John Mullen, an architect whose house overlooks the scenic Louse Point Bay, said that as an avid art collector, he was "more than happy to have this wonderful event" in his home filled with art, to help support local artists and this great cause for children.

"I wanted to donate a painting to this event," said Tracy Harris of East Hampton. "Who wouldn't want to support this wonderful cause and inspire young artists?"

During the event, Roccanova, a professional photographer, showed pictures on a big screen of the Nicaraguan children painting and drawing in their new, two-story wooden school, which is located in a little village called Limon #2. Last year, Noell and Roccanova hired local residents to build the 3,750-square-foot school in a barren field, where they had to put in a road and electricity, and dig a well for hot and cold running water. In an area which has no electricity, running water or plumbing facilities in any homes, "it was a big deal," according to Roccanova. The school also has air conditioning, beautiful tiles and furniture hand-crafted by the local people.

"We wanted to make this place comfortable for the students, and also for people from the Hamptons who wanted to come down and maybe teach here, and also help us with donations," said Roccanova, who has made six trips to Nicaragua so far.

He and Noell were going to buy a small resort in Costa Rica, but when Noell discovered Nicaragua in 2006, through his interest in surfing, he asked Roccanova to join him there. They looked at properties and thought of building a school or daycare center. As artists, they decided on a private school where children could learn through the process of art.

"Since Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, we could see how these kids had nothing to play with - just maybe twigs and branches," said Roccanova. "When we showed them art supplies, and even toys like dolls and trucks, it was magical. It just made us feel good inside."

Thirty children attend this school from 1 to 4 p.m., after going to their public school from 7 a.m. to noon. "But their public school, like everything else in this country, is erratic and disorganized," said Noell, who has been living in Nicaragua for the past two years. "Sometimes their other school is open, and sometimes it is not."

For the school, he hired two teachers from the local community, and one German volunteer who comes in three days a week to teach English. There is also a cook. They are also hoping to start a literacy program.

"We try to hire people from the local community, because I think it's important to involve the locals so they feel they own the school, and will take care of it," said Noell. He and Roccanova are now trying to find people to sponsor two young American women who want to go to teach at his school as volunteers.

"It would cost only about $15,000 a year for these two women to fly, live and teach there, including room and board," said Noell. "Nicaragua is a pretty cheap place to live. You can stay in a hotel for about $200 a month."

Art supplies were donated by an artist friend in his native state of Texas. "And we have also had offers of art supplies from artists in the Hamptons, as well as much-needed clothing, but the problem is the expensive cost of shipping and airline restrictions," said Noell. "We are looking for a business person who maybe has use of a private jet or a container to get us these supplies at less cost."

Anyone wishing to donate to this 501C3 non-profit school can send checks c/o Una Escuelita, Box 160, Amagansett, NY 11930. For more information, visit www.UnaEscuelita.org.

7/29/2008: Posted in The East Hampton Press

Surfer-developers found a school in Nicaragua

By Aline Reynolds

(7/29/2008)    "Pick a number," Lynn Blumenfeld said, beaming as she and auction volunteer Paula Schiff announced the total donations that organizers accumulated at a silent auction on July 12 in support of Una Escuelita, an after-school program in Nicaragua with East Hampton connections.

"25K," replied John Mullen, a retired architect who hosted the benefit at his East Hampton waterfront home.

"Not even close. Forty thousand with everything!"

The event marked the promising beginning of efforts to provide continuing support for Una Escuelita, which is devoted to helping children age 2-12 learn about life through the medium of art.

Frank Roccanova of Amagansett, co-founder of the program, explained the fundamental philosophy behind Una Escuelita. The program, he asserted, places art at the forefront of all learning. "Art is the engine that pulls the train-the train could be any field," he said.

The $40,000 raised at the event came from the sale of $100-a-person tickets for entrance to the benefit and from the auctioning of artwork and gift certificates donated by a group of local artists, companies and organizations. Mr. Roccanova and Una Escuelita's co-founder, Livingston Pope Noell III, another local artist, plan to use the auction proceeds for art supplies, additional storage space for food, and a new classroom for Una Escuelita.

Mr. Roccanova has a background in the image retouching business. He is a former partner in Spano Roccanova Retouching, the first retouching studio in Manhattan to go digital, he said. He retired in 1996 and has since moved to the East End to pursue fine art photography. Pope Noell, meanwhile, served in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1970. He later built a successful construction business. Settling in East Hampton in 1990, he took a newfound interest in making abstract murals and primitive art.

After meeting in Amagansett through a mutual friend in the late 1990s, Mr. Roccanova and Mr. Noell started thinking business thoughts and decided to go into shirt manufacturing and retail. After creating prototypes and brochures, however, they dropped the plan. "We realized it would have been too much work to handle the profits and get into the mechanics of the business," said Mr. Roccanova.

The two East Enders, obviously restless in retirement, next got the idea of venturing to Central America to go into the land development business, which was a natural for Mr. Noell, considering his background in construction and his local knowledge-thanks to his surfing habit. In fact, he moved to Costa Rica to surf. Mr. Roccanova regularly visited his buddy and photographed him and others surfing.

Mr. Roccanova and Mr. Noell came up with the idea of building a resort in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. The idea "intrigued me, partly because I'd have a place to stay during my winter trips," Mr. Roccanova said.

The two abandoned the plan when they decided they did not like the foreigners who were infiltrating the city. "We didn't like the people there-the town had a bad element, so we pulled the plug" on the resort project, said Mr. Roccanova.

He returned to Long Island, and Mr. Noell sought refuge in a primitive hut in Limon Dos, a poor dirt-road village without running water across the border in Nicaragua. Mr. Roccanova came to visit. "I wanted to see what Pope was so enchanted by this time," Mr. Roccanova said.

They were still intrigued by the idea of land development and bought six acres of open land with the aim of subdividing the territory into saleable residential lots for the influx of foreign vacationers they expected to one day discover the place. But as they were subdividing the land in Limon Dos, they began to feel as if they were robbing land from an impoverished community.

They suddenly felt like the bad guys.

Una Escuelita "happened because of a very selfish reason: we wanted to feel good about ourselves. These children from this community have reaped the benefits from us being selfish," Mr. Roccanova said. "Our hearts opened up to the community and because we were taking so much from the community, we wanted to give something back."

Mr. Noell and Mr. Roccanova set up a board of directors with California-based business partner Robert Mendez and lawyer John Serpico to discuss funding and the overall direction of the organization. "It was definitely an exercise in patience and tolerance," said Mr. Roccanova about the preliminary phases of the program's physical and conceptual development.

They completed the construction of the sturdy, two-story Spanish-style Una Escuelita building in December 2007. The next month, they opened it as an after-school learning center and food shelter for local kids age two to 12, with two trained Nicaraguan teachers to assist children with their school work, and supervise the recreational and other activities at the center.

Mr. Noell and Roccanova hosted the center's inaugural gathering, at which the founders stated the intended role of Una Escuelita in the Limon Dos community. "We're not a bank, we're not a hospital, we're not a lending institution, and we're not your mother or father," Mr. Roccanova declared to the group of 80 parents and children. "We hope to be the guiding light for a better future for all of you."

On a typical day, 30 to 55 children voluntarily show up after their morning sessions at the local state school for individual tutoring and sports activities. The children are also given a free late-afternoon meal prepared by cook Anna-Maria Castillo.

The donors at the July 12 benefit were enthusiastic in their support for Una Escuelita. Several of the auction bidders commented on the intimacy of the gathering, which they deem atypical of most East End charity events.

John Wiltshire, an East End resident for 13 years, bid on some of the gift certificates offered at the auction. As a donor representative for his insurance company, Frank Crystal & Co., he had been attending charity gatherings for five weeks in a row. He said this benefit was "not glitzy. It was much more laid back and friendly. Also, there's not this major feeling that they want your money," he added.

Lynn Blumenfeld, of the Montauk advertising firm Blumenfeld & Fleming and the co-organizer of Saturday's benefit, was dumbfounded by the huge impact that such a fund-raiser could have on the Limon Dos community. "With the amount it takes to send one kid and his or her uniform to the Ross School for a year, I could actually help keep an entire group of 30 children in Una Escuelita for a year," she said.

The same incentive got host John Mullen involved. "With a relatively small amount of money, you can have a very significant impact on these young people's lives ... to get them literate and productive. What's better to do than that?" he said.

An East End resident for 11 years, Mr. Mullen is actively involved in school development projects around the world. Through Room to Read, a global organization that partners with local communities to construct schools and establish educational programs, Mr. Mullen helped organize the construction of schools in developing countries such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam. He said he particularly values Una Escuelita for its foundation in art.

"Through art, Pope and Frank seem to really have infected these kids," he said. The program is "a wonderful launch pad for these kids into an intellectual life. It's geared" the students "towards broader horizons."

Una Escuelita has a website at http://www.unaescuelita.org/.

10/03/2007: Posted in the East Hampton Star

Forging Friendship Through the Arts

By Elise D’Haene

(10/03/2007)    Frank Roccanova is surrounded by art — his own and that of friends — at his house on Handy Lane in Amagansett. The ambience reflects his belief that creative self-expression is the lifeblood of kinship.

It comes as no surprise, then, that he has built a school for children in a small village in southern Nicaragua called Limon Dos. The school, he said, is dedicated to “living life through the arts to make the world a better place.”

Construction of Una Escuelita (One Small School, in English) was completed this spring. One mile from the Pacific coast, near the Costa Rican border, the two-story, Spanish-style building sits on eight acres. It was built by locals of brick, steel, and wood, with tile floors. A garden is under way where a variety of local fare, such as avocados, mangos, melons, peppers, and figs, will be grown  (“Being Italian, I had to have them,” he joked).

Often, when Mr. Roccanova tells others about the school, he finds that “people still have perceptions of Nicaragua as a dangerous place,” referring to the long civil war that ended in 1989 and to lingering memories of C.I.A.-backed contras battling Daniel Ortega’s Soviet-supported Sandinistas.

The country, about the size of New York State, is one of the poorest in Central America; around 75 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Despite the poverty, “the people are honest, dignified, and hard-working,” Mr. Roccanova said. “They are good-souled people, very prudent, with a simpler lifestyle than we have.”

Initially, Mr. Roccanova and his business partner, Livingston Pope Noell III of East Hampton, an artist who owned a construction business on the East End, bought land in Costa Rica for residential development. Very soon, after a trip to Nicaragua and interactions with the people there, both men realized “that we didn’t want to be typical gringos, we wanted to give to the community, not take.”

Their idea evolved from building a day care facility to a more comprehensive vision of a “learning center,” which will help working parents with child care and offer language, learning skills, and computer training, with “art as the main focus.” Eventually, they also hope to incorporate health and dental care, and plans are in the works to build a soccer and baseball field.

Mr. Roccanova studied art at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where he majored in photography and advertising. In the late 1960s he became the creative head art director for Saks Fifth Avenue. He “was exiled from Brooklyn” after a divorce and moved into his Amagansett house full time over 10 years ago, retiring to pursue his art work more fully.

Another medium he works in is film, and his short documentaries have been shown at the Hamptons International Film Festival. His latest documentary work has been about the development of the art school.

Initially, he said, the Nicaraguan villagers responded to him and Mr. Noell “as if we dropped in from outer space.” The two soon gained their trust and respect, however, and the community’s enthusiasm for the project grew “once they realized that greed is not our motive.”

Mr. Roccanova admits that their motto, “the more you give, the more you get back,” has a selfish component. “If more people were selfish about wanting to feel good by giving, the world would be a better place,” he said.

One important choice that Mr. Roccanova and Mr. Noell made was to incorporate the work of Nicaraguan artists and artisans, including potters, sculptors, woodworkers, painters, and weav­ers. Many of the traditional techniques for making textiles, baskets, ceramics, and sculpture have been used since pre-Columbian times.

    It took the pair several hours on foot to reach a woodworker who lives as a veritable hermit in the rain forest. “We had to wade across four rivers to reach him,” Mr. Roccanova said. The artisan’s elaborate carvings of peacocks and native foliage will adorn some of the furniture in the school.

“Chickens and pigs rule” the village, roaming freely, and telephone service is sketchy, so “it is a simple way of life,” he said.

“Little things bring people a great deal of pleasure,” he explained, “like an ice cream cone, or nature; they are very connected and aware of their natural world.”

When asked what an artist might gain from the experience of teaching at the school, his eyes flickered with enthusiasm. He described his belief that the “common language we all share is love.” Although he admitted that his ability to speak Spanish at this point is limited to “hola,” he said it didn’t matter, because “art does not require words, it’s a universal language.”

Quite unexpectedly, Mr. Roccanova’s own work has been transformed by his experiences in Nicaragua. In his Amagansett house, a renovated former one-room fishing cottage moved from Montauk to Smithtown, then eventually to Amagansett, Mr. Roccanova’s photography, paintings, and sculptures date back to the early 1960s. They reveal an evolution in his experience and understanding of relationships.

His art has been focused predominantly on the tricky terrain of intimacy between a man and a woman. He has mined this often messy and glorious subject, and one series of photographs on display in his house pays homage to Magritte, dissecting the language of lovers with layers of visual humor and heartache.

His latest works, photographed in Nicaraguan villages and towns, are a series of abstract prints in bold colors — ochre, fuchsia, purple, and vibrant greens, muddy reds, and bursts of yellow — colors typical of the painted brick and wood buildings in the area.

“It was an amazing visual exercise, an explosion of color in combinations, shapes, and textures I’ve never experienced anywhere else. It was not in me to put these colors or shapes together. I had to photograph it,” he said. He paused to gaze at a few recently framed prints, some reminiscent of Rothko, others appearing as imaginative landscapes. “Going to Nicaragua is all of this and so much more,” he said.

Art matters to Mr. Roccanova. It is a way to express daily life in a transforming way, a way to connect, to speak, to express one’s wishes and dreams, he suggested.

Una Escuelita is “one small school” in one “small corner of the world” where ordinary people can rejuvenate their spirits by creating art that is relevant to their needs “through their own ideas, words, and images.”

The school has secured nonprofit status and is looking for artists in all mediums to volunteer their time and talent. Mr. Roccanova is especially interested in having East End artists involved, perhaps combining their time teaching at the school with a vacation to the area.

A few grants are available for artists and he was quick to point out that there are several options for accommodations very close to the school, with prices ranging from $5 per night to $100. “You can pay very little for a room with a common bathroom and a breakfast that costs two bucks,” he said, “Or stay at an oceanfront resort with a four-star restaurant.”

The people he has encountered in Limon Dos “live with a purpose. And they attend to it fully,” he said. Whether it is waiting for hours at the corner of an intersection to give directions to a delivery truck, clearing a field with a machete, or fishing for family and neighbors, the villagers have a “different rhythm and beat to their daily lives,” he said.

Mr. Roccanova credits his time in Nicaragua with “teaching me patience,” he said. “I’m so much more tolerant of situations and have a broader understanding of myself and the human race.”

Photographs of the school can be viewed at http://www.unaescuelita.org, where more information about Una Escuelita is available.