CHANGE
v. to make radically different
n. a fresh set of clothing; money

Change t-shirts 52 times in 2010 to raise awareness and funds for 52 world changers.

What do you change for?


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

PORTRAITS OF HOPE

Paint the Town Red.

Or for that matter, Paint the Town Color.

Such is the story of Bernie and Ed Massey— 2 brothers who used their social entrepreneurship and artistic skills to create Portraits of Hope. By engaging both the young and the old, along with the healthy and the ill, Portraits of Hope is using “art and poignant visual imagery for large-scale projects of social consequence.”

Originally constructed to benefit the growth and development of seriously ill children, tens of thousands of individuals from all walks of life have been involved in producing, collaborating, and painting spectacular public art installations.

From moving vehicles to stationary buildings, Portraits of Hope has caught the world in color. Their colorful floral and geometric designs have not only brightened up California’s lifeguard stations or New York City’s taxi fleet, but have also enriched the lives of children and adults, “many who may be coping with adversity or serious illness.”

Whether their painters are found in hospitals, schools, or empty warehouses, Portraits of Hope challenges its participants to discuss “current affairs, civic issues, individual and social responsibilities, goals and achievement, decision-making, and— the power of teamwork.” Discussions are immediately put into action through the group collaboration involved in creating such vibrant public works of art.

Take the hospital.

Perhaps the most unique setting to paint a public work of art.

And possibly the most significant.

From smaller individual projects to larger public art installations, Portraits of Hope colors hospital walls with a taste of the outside world. Painting sessions in the hospital, however, do not teach typical Painting 101 techniques.

Adaptations have been made.

Bedside visits, “telescope paint brushes for children and adults in wheelchairs or attached to IVs; shoe brushes (U.S. Patent) for children and adults with injured upper limbs or who cannot manipulate a brush with their hands; and flavored mouth brushes for those with limited or no movement in their arms and legs” have been designed so that everyone, no matter their disposition, can add more color to their life.

The success of such large projects relies on the individual, no matter the ability.

Such is Portraits of Hope’s message for life.

Please visit portraitsofhope.org for more information.

(Portraits of Hope engages children and adults in community collaboration and artistic celebration.)

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