This morning at 11:20am Murray SANFORD, Steve ALLEN, Marc Daniel GUTEKUNST left from Atlanta for Beijing. Our Delta Boeing 767 was packed, with only 2 seats left. We landed in Seoul at 2:45pm, 10 minutes ahead of schedule. During the 3 hour layover, we reviewed the RSVPs on our August 14 2008 ATLANTA LEGACY NIGHT at the OLYMPIANS Reunion Center at the Jun Palace in the Chaoyang Park, and had a snack at the SkyTeam lounge. We connected on Air China 126, and again were on time in Beijing. We got to BEIJING at 7:20pm.  All 9 pieces of luggage, the heavy boxes, as well as the oversized easel and frames for the "CHINA" painting arrived.  What a relief!  We went through customs and one final luggage scan in record time. A sea of placards with names from around the world were held and waved. Finally we saw Mr. HU holding a placard with our 3 names. Another 10 minutes of walking to get to a brand new parking lot. By 9:15p.m we were in the apartment we are renting for the month!


On Sunday August 3, 2008 the ATLANTA DITC was featured in the AJC
The Butterfly’s in Beijing
By Jennifer BRETT
Sunday, August 3, 2008, 01:50 PM


THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Local artist bound for Beijing
By Jennifer BRETT
July 31, 2008 Section: Living Page: E2 Column: THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY 

 

He's not an athlete, but Steve R. Allen is living an Olympic dream.

The North Carolina native lived in Raleigh, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles before settling in Atlanta in 1992. At that year's National Black Arts Festival, he had something of an epiphany: "Well hell, I could do that."

He shucked his job as a copy machine repairman and picked up a paintbrush -- "I was a copy man in the morning and an artist in the afternoon," -- and sold his first painting in 1993.

A chance meeting years later sent his career soaring. Dr. Marc Daniel Gutekunst, co-founder with Prince Albert of Monaco of the Atlanta DeKalb International Training Center, was at an event where Allen's paintings were being sold.

"I really liked what I saw," Gutekunst said. "Right there on the spot I made him our cultural ambassador."
As artist-in-residence for the Atlanta DITC, Allen has presented paintings at the Athens, Sydney, Turino and Salt Lake City Olympic Games. The other day in his home studio, he was putting final touches on the piece he will present in Beijing.

"I try to capture the spirit of the Games," he said as he worked on the piece, an acrylic work that incorporates flags of countries that have hosted the Olympics, and athletes representing a diverse range of sports and ethnicities.

A group of 11 from the Atlanta DITC, which works with athletes who are training for the Olympics while furthering their education, will travel to Beijing. It's the largest contingent the organization, which opened in 2002, has sent to the Olympics.

"We felt this was the time," said Gutekunst, an epidemiologist and visiting scholar at Emory. "The Chinese are offering us a wonderful venue to showcase what we're doing in Atlanta."

A native of northern Africa who is now a U.S. citizen, Gutekunst said he has declined to comment officially on human rights issues regarding China.

"There is much more good that can be achieved by being there, having a presence," he said. "We respect the history of the Chinese people."

Allen and Gutekunst will both be at the Atlanta Legacy Night, featuring the unveiling of Allen's new painting and an awards ceremony dubbed "peace and reconciliation through sports and education." It's planned for Aug. 14 at the Prince Jun Palace in Beijing. I'll be there! See you in Beijing

So, who all's going to China? Atlanta Chamber of Commerce prez Sam Williams and Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development, will be there. So will Charlie Battle, who headed external relations for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and handled international relations for Sochi, Russia's successful bid to host the 2014 Winter Games. He told me he's now helping Chicago put its bid together for 2016. High Museum Director Michael E. Shapiro also will be in Beijing, as you'd expect, with the upcoming exhibition "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army." This year's gala, "The Emperor's Pavilion," is Nov. 14. The chairs are Monica Dioda and Louise Sams.

Darrell Mays, president and CEO of nsoro, and wife Ena, were the successful bidders for an Olympics trip at last year's "La Vie En Rose" ball benefiting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. "I guess I'm most looking forward to being a part of the whole Olympic experience," Ena Mays said. "I consider it an honor just to be there."

Darrell Mays, who travels constantly for business and has spent lots of time in China, looks forward to introducing his wife to this year's Olympic host city. "She's the ultimate people watcher, and this is the ultimate people watching event," he said. His advice was to plan ahead and go off the beaten path some.

"I never go to the tourist areas; I like to go to see people in their communities," he said. "Everybody speaks English, it's just a matter of will they do it."

One more tidbit: "Don't talk politics."