I (Della Burford) took slides of the Nicholas Roerich paintings to Prisoners in Toronto with Shizuye Takashima, whose story “A Child in Prison Camp” was performed in Japan at the Ekidan Fuji Theatre with 200 performers. She was one of the kindest people I (Della) have known.

Shizuye and I (Della) worked together on various Peace Projects through a group called ‘Peace thru Culture’. The group was based around the philosophy of the famous painter Nicholas Roerich. I collected slides of his work from the Roerich Museum in New York and brought them to Toronto. We took the art (via slides) to the prisoners at the Toronto Detention Centre. I and Shizuye then did art and writing with the woman prisoners. One day I worked with women that were illegal immigrants from Guyana, who were teachers in their own country, one proceeded to read the Journey to Dodoland book to me word by word right to the end. She told me afterward what a blessing it was for me to come. I believe I had the Kindness Storyteller near me.

This is from the book ‘Art for One World’ by Della Burford
‘The Mother of the World’ by Nicholas Roerich at the Roerich Museum in New York was the inspiration for Della’s dream the night she brought back a slide show from New York to take to show prisoners at the Toronto Detention Centre. She did a painting of her dream.
In the dream, I saw the Mother of the World with a pointed hat with her arms held upward to an orb of white light. Did this painting the next week. ” ‘Star Mother of the World with Orb’ by Della Burford