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RIDGE ART HOSTS RECEPTION FOR
VISITING NATURALIST, ANDREW URONU

OAK PARK (October 9, 2007) – Ridge Art gallery owner Laurie Beasley has announced she will host a reception for naturalist, Andrew Uronu, visiting from Tanzania during the Oak Park Arts District’s Third Friday on October 19 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Although Mr. Uronu studied accounting and worked for several private companies for many years, he decided to follow his passion for nature and enrolled in the Wild Life College in Moshi while a finance officer at Gibbs Farm. Mr. Uronu then overcame the challenges of starting an independent business in Tanzania and founded Safaritracks, a safari vacation planner, in 1989. As a guide for Safaritracks, Mr. Uronu has been recognized by many groups and travelers for his passion, extensive knowledge, common sense, and great personality.

Mr. Uronu recognizes the importance of teaching young Tanzanians about wild life in Africa. He is dedicated to training young people from Tanzania about the significance and the skills of nature conservation, the big animal legacy for Africa, as well as the multinational interconnectedness of nature preservation.

About Laurie Beasley and Ridge Art

www.ridgeart.com

Laurie Beasley, proprietor of Ridge Art, has been a collector of folk art and antiques for over 30 years. In 1998 she left the world of advertising after 25 years to open her own gallery. The result was Ridge Art a gallery specializing in emerging, visionary and self-taught artists from around the world, with a special emphasis on West Africa and Haiti. The gallery is located at 21 Harrison Street, in the Oak Park Arts District. Ms. Beasley has curated shows and spoken on Haitian art around the United States and regularly travels to the Caribbean and Africa to search for new works to bring back to her growing clientele.

Ridge Art - Hours & Location:

Thursdays and Fridays from 12:00 p.m. – 6 p.m., Saturdays from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Viewings are also available by appointment. The gallery stays open until 9 p.m. the third Friday of every month while it participates in Third Friday Art Walks in the Oak Park Arts District. Many of the pieces currently in the collections can also be viewed on the Ridge Art website. The gallery is located one block north of the Austin I-290 exit (Austin & Harrison) and is accessible by public transportation from the Austin exit of the Forest Park blue line.