“BOSTON HERO AWARD” Youth for Human Rights New England

AMIDST RISING CRIME STATISTICS, ARTIST AND BOSTON ICON, "SIDEWALK SAM" IS
RECOGNIZED FOR RENEWING HOPE WITH HIS VISION OF A BETTER WORLD THROUGH "ART FOR PEOPLE'S SAKE". THE NEW ENGLAND CHAPTER OF YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS ROBERT GUILLEMAN, BEST KNOWN AS “SIDEWALK SAM”, WITH
THEIR 2006 “BOSTON HERO AWARD”.

Robert Guilleman has been touching lives with his art and in his charismatic way for over 40 years. Early on when he was drawing with chalk on the streets of Boston, a “gentleman in a suit” introduced himself. He said, “Sam, I’m John Kerry” (Senator, that is). “I think you could do a lot of good with your work; you should start a non-profit and get the word out. There are a lot of things I see you doing ... bigger in scope, that could bring a lot of people together. And with that, ArtStreet was born. Robert Guilleman, aka,
Sidewalk Sam, the President and Founder and his wife Tina, Vice President and
Treasurer, expanded their marital partnership in a greater quest: "Art for people's sake". Says Guilleman, "I didn't want to do 'Art for Art's sake'; I needed to fulfill a bigger purpose".

Sam went on to do his “first big thing” in 1990, when Kerry called him for some ideas for Earth Day: “I came up with this idea: our meadows had been turned into highways, so I thought, why not turn the highways back into meadows-metaphorically, that is. So for the first time in history, Storrow Drive was closed down and green paint was poured on it. "Hundreds of college students from MIT, B.U. and the rest used brooms and brushed the paint all over Storrow Drive for about 1 1/2 miles or so,” gleams Guilliman,
"60,000 people were invited out to paint bunny rabbits and squirrels and trees and flowers, to just put their beauty in to it ... and they all came!"

The rest, as they say, is history. The connection between Youth for Human Rights and ArtStreet started this year, when Ms. Kelly Riley, New England Director for Youth for Human Rights got in touch with “Sidewalk”. “I knew about Sidewalk Sam, but since taking on the position of New England Director, one my colleagues newly brought his work to my attention.” And get her attention he did. When I really looked into what he was doing, honestly, I was completely awestruck. Here is a man who is an accomplished artist and a true humanitarian; a very unique and fascinating individual”.

Kelly Riley had read that "Sidewalk Sam" was preparing for an event called, Paint for Peace in which thousands of inner city youth group would be painting “white doves of peace” all over City Hall Plaza, not only with the Mayor’s blessing, but with him in attendance. “I knew this would be the perfect event for us to collaborate on. Youth for Human Rights champions human rights and educates kids about the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. In addition to lesson plans and human rights booklets, our main tool is a DVD with 30 beautiful PSAs, each one depicting an article of the 30 Articles in the Declaration”. Ms. Riley sent the PSAs to Sam.

Guilleman responded immediately. "The ads are beautiful, absolutely beautiful” he said, “millions of people should see them”. "When he responded that way", Riley smiles, “I knew I had found a kindred spirit. As humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard said, 'Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream". This is YHRI's mission. I knew Robert was championing human rights on a daily basis and shared the same ideals".

ArtStreet and Youth for Human Rights New England went on to do "Paint for Peace" on 100 plus degree day in August. "No one seemed to mind, as spirits were as high as the temperature", comments Riley. And as NECN interviewed "Sidewalk Sam" for a spot in the 6 o’oclock news that night, she listened intently, knowing she was in the presence of someone very special. “I knew from the moment I met Sam that he was the right recipient for this award; his words are poetic and soft spoken, yet he is encouraging action and change. He knows the individual is important and that individuals united in a worthy cause become empowered and can make a difference. He knows that, because
he’s spent a better part of four decades proving it."

For more information on Youth For Human Rights International:
www.youthforhumanrights.org. For Sidewalk Sam: www.sidewalksam.com.