Department of Art sale raises thousands for Ukranian war relief effort
Student Jana Astanov of Creatrix Magazine and Jill McDermid of Grace Space at the "Artists for Ukraine" fundraiser at SUNY New Paltz, March 9. Jana and Jill are holding the ceramic cups by Arizona Fu, in the background is Kathy Halfin's "Wide Open," and to the right, Amanda Michele Brown's "Speaking in Code." Picture by Michael Fortenberry for Arcade Project.
From Emily Puthoff:
When our student, Jana Astanov, asked me for help to organize a fundraiser for those suffering from the war in Ukraine, I was grateful to be able to lend my skills to the effort although I had never organized a fundraiser before. We learned so much in less than a week—germinating the seed of the idea to an Art Department-wide fundraiser.
What resonates with me is the overwhelming support, warmth, and generosity of all of you. The fundraiser would not have been possible without you answering the call by creating and donating work, encouraging students to create and donate work, volunteering your time and helpful advice, lending pedestals and a hand, and contributing by supporting the organizations in the fundraiser. During midterms, no less.
The pulse of the Art Department was palpable, and I believe it resonated across the globe. It was deeply moving to feel that collective energy in FAB and the Library, especially after so much distance and silence induced by the pandemic.
After taking a much-needed break and then tracking down all our paperwork and counting twice, we are delighted to say that the Art Department's Artist for Ukraine event raised $3,658.32 for organizations supporting those suffering from the war in Ukraine. The Clay Club also generously committed to donate a portion of their ceramic sale ($470) to organizations. So, drum rolllllllll, please ... We raised $4,128.32!
With ponderous hearts, we recognize that the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine is the only latest crisis in a long and horrible legacy of such atrocities. We are currently reflecting on the lessons we learned from this fundraiser and thinking about how we might refine and apply the model we built here to lend our creative minds and skills to help others suffering. Please reach out to me if you'd like to be part of this conversation. Please also share this news and invitation with your students. Here is an article in the Daily Freeman about the fundraiser.
From Jana Astanov:
Dear SUNY NP Art Community,
My deepest gratitude for the spirit of communal becoming, for standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, for donating so many gorgeous pieces, and for buying them, too!
I would like to highlight that as we raised $4,128.32(!), this amount should be multiplied by five to see the real buying power of our donations in Ukraine and Poland, and based on the current currency fluctuations including Ukrainian Hryvnia, Polish Zloty, and the US Dollar.
Thank you, Emily! It would have not happened without the commitment to social practice as a medium of sculpture.
I would like to also share the article I wrote for Arcade Project about this fundraiser and another at Grace Exhibition Space on March 5 which raised $1,630.
In solidarity, Jana
