JOHNSON CITY (Posted Feb. 14, 2013) – East Tennessee State University master of fine arts degree candidate Q Karmue will launch a nonprofit organization, “Save More Kids,” as part of his M.F.A. exhibition and thesis this weekend at the Tipton Gallery.

The public is invited to view the exhibit and meet the artist during a reception Saturday, Feb. 16, from 5-8 p.m. The Tipton Gallery, 126 Spring St., is sponsored by the ETSU Department of Art and Design and the Urban Redevelopment Alliance of Johnson City. It is open for viewing on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. and Fridays from 6-8 p.m., and at other times by appointment.

This exhibition is an integral element of Karmue’s M.F.A. thesis documenting his pre-adolescent survival of, and eventual escape from, a brutal civil war in the West African country of Liberia. His thesis is set to become the introduction to his book, WITNESS, his firsthand account of the devastating effects of war, written from a child’s point of view.

The Save More Kids nonprofit organization was formed to provide assistance to children who have been subjected to such extreme conditions as war, sexual abuse, abandonment and child labor.

According to Karmue, the mission of Save More Kids is to “document their story, witness the atrocities they’ve faced, and with the help of local and national communities, provide them with an opportunity and a chance to change the course of their future.”

Karmue has invited to his reception two children from Liberia who will give personal testimonials regarding their experiences of war, which rendered them orphans.

The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, to schedule a viewing, or for special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, director of ETSU’s Slocumb Galleries, at (423) 483-3179 or contrera@etsu.edu. For more information on Save More Kids, contact Edwina McGill at (423) 788-4456, (843) 364-2965 or info@savemorekids.org, or visit www.savemorekids.org.