Artists are amazingly generous with their time and talents. You are among the first to respond to a disaster and to help out those in need. You give full out with our heart.
Bravo!
Here are a few recent philanthropy feats from artists that I’d like to acknowledge.
Something To Smile About
Photographer Larry Lourcey raised money to pay for 16 surgeries for kids to correct cleft palates and other facial deformities.
Larry offered “mini” photo-shoots (portraits) for a small donation of $24 per shoot and set aside one day for the event.
Ten scheduled mini-shoots could pay for one surgery (just $240!).
If my math is right, this means Larry took at least 160 photos that day!
Honoring Sandy Hook Victims
Moved by the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut last December, Angeli Petrocco-Coover made 26 mixed-media pieces to give to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims.
She took special care to see that each one reflected the individual personality of the child or school administrator.
Angeli is now selling greeting cards based on those collages to raise money for Sandy Hook Promise.
You can see each work read about the life of the person it honors on this page.
Relief for Moore, Oklahoma
As a native Okie, this one really hits home and I tear up every time I think about all of the good people in the Sooner State.
Oklahomans for the Arts, Inc. has assembled a page for arts fundraisers to support the victims of the May 20 tornado in Moore. Here are a few on the list.
Bella Vita Jewelry has designed a special necklace with all profits going to relief funds.
Liz Cooke is selling a screen-printed, hand-drawn map of Oklahoma for a suggested donation of $10. Benefits go to American Red Cross.
Tony Grider donated all proceeds from 1-week sale of fine photography prints.
Contemporary Art Gallery artists Kim Pagonis, Carol Shanahan, Kay Wall and Verna Fuller are offering 50% of art sales towards the relief effort/organization of their choice.
Tree & Leaf and The Okay See have collaborated to design a special t-shirt with all proceeds going to tornado relief. As I was checking up on it, they have sold out and raised $20,000 to donate to the Regional Food Bank.
Shop Good/Blue Seven/STASH offers the Benefit Tee for Moore Tornado Relief. As of this writing, they have raised over $10,000 for the American Red Cross.
Laura Reese is making disaster relief letterpress postcards for a $10 donation to Red Cross.
Spencer Tracy is donating 50% of all sales to the Red Cross.
Katelynn Knick is donating all proceeds from prints sold to support the Moore community.
Give them a hand! And, if you feel moved, tell us about your fundraising and giving in a comment below.
11 thoughts on “The Generosity of Artists”
Happiness is: Philanthropic Artists! I am so happy to see so many artists who have plenty to give and do so! Good-bye Starving Artist. Hello Philanthropic Leaders of Art and Creativity!
Love it, Susan. You have the right mindset for one of my Gold members! And I’ve just scratched the tip of the iceberg here. Artists are so generous.
My gallery co-owner, Lucy Tracy, donates 10 percent of proceeds of her pressed flower advent calendars to 350.org.
Go, Lucy!
Artists are hidden treasures in this world. We owe so much them. Throughout the centuries their gifts of expression through art, music, and dance has influenced culture. Their generosity and compassion for others speak to the observer in a way that words cannot.
John Paul II wrote in a letter to artists, “Every genuine art form in its own way is a path to the inmost reality of man and of the world. It is therefore a wholly valid approach to the realm of faith, which gives human experience it ultimate meaning.”
Ben Akers, director of the Denver Catholic Biblical School and Catechetical School, said this; “An artist is able to bring the invisible to light. Artists strive to discover the hidden meaning of things through their work and to focus our attention to transcendent reality.
Art, music and film are ways that influence culture and bring to light current trends of thoughts or issues.
That’s a lovely sentiment, Genie.
I donate 10% of my profits to the Alzheimers Association (in Connecticut). They have been very helpful in telling me where to find all kinds of useful information to help with caregiving an elderly parent with this disease.
Way to go, Patricia!
Steve Weed, an artist whose house barely survived the Waldo Canyon fire has created 20+ stunning paintings. All proceeds will be auctioned off and given to the home owners who lost their homes last year. http://www.coloradospringstogether.org/involved/Ashes-to-Art-Project.cfm
Thank you Carol for the post!
I have been painting scenes “Inspired by Africa”(also the name of my blog) and selling the paintings to raise funds to educate children living in extreme poverty in Africa. These children are so poor that can’t even afford the minimal fees needed for public schools. I was inspired to help while visiting my daughter who volunteered with these kids while studying abroad at The University of Ghana. I decided to help the only way I know how, through my art. You can learn more about the project on my blog AdrienneArtist.blogspot.com or see the paintings at AdrienneArtist on Facebook. I have never felt happier or fulfilled as an artist as I have since I started this project.