Art for the Heart, a project

An artist on Twitter (@MatthewTessnear) once posted that he was offering three canvases to followers that donated $25 to nami.org. I loved the idea. My bio-mother suffered from untreated mental illness, which was the primary reason for all of my childhood trauma. I fully support organizations that strive to assist people to live better and more productive lives because I know it impacts all the people who care for those individuals as well.

I donated right away and took a screenshot to send him. Then I realized that he lived in North Carolina.

My plan had been to gather the painting and donate it to a local protective services worker to give to a teen in foster care. You see, I know from experience that they often have very little and what resources they do have are used in trying to keep them supplied with basics. There is rarely attention paid to providing for their hearts. I thought about what joy it would have brought me to have received a beautiful canvas to hang in my room!

So I wrote to him and asked him to contact his local workers and offer it to them, on my behalf.

He loved the idea, THEY loved the idea, and a project was born.

Here is my challenge: Gather artwork, create art, or ask for artwork donations (Medium/smaller sizes are likely best in case they have to move). Find your local protective services agency or children’s home and donate it. I’m calling “Art for the Heart” and I hope you’ll comment with stories and pictures as you do! Let’s get some love, beauty, and art into the lives of people who could really use it?