Saturday, September 5, 2020

What to do with art supplies, books and paintings when you are downsizing. Where to donate art supplies and art books.


 

Artists Sharing Wealth

 

Artists have a wealth of resources- their art and art created by others which they own, art supplies, art books.

As they go thru life and downsize or pass on, their families wonder what to do with these resources to put them to good use.

 

Artists Sharing Wealth is a listing meant to serve as a resource for redistributing these assets and honoring the artists legacy.

This list is not comprehensive, but is a start at how to think about places to contact. You can google for these types of places in your local area and contact them from there. I expect this list will grow and change over time so I will edit as new ideas surface. This list has been compiled with input from several artists.

 

Possible ways to redirect these assets in general:

Donations/Sale of Supplies

Donations/Sale of Books

Donations of Art

Sale of Art

Scholarships

Awards in the Artists name

Foundations to Promote the Arts

 

 

Donation/sales

of supplies

Consider:

 

Donations to charities that were meaningful to the artist to sell or use as gifts, decor or door prizes.

 

Local art programs for underprivileged kids, Also, food pantries and churches sponsoring the underprivileged

 

Children's Hospitals

Any hospital. There are program for doing art with hospital patients- https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/positive-art-news-programs-that-offer-art-workshops-in-hospitals/

 

College students can't afford art supplies. Working with art teachers to get them to the right students.

 

Contact the Public-School art teachers in their local School Districts. Most of the Public-School art teachers have to buy supplies with money from their own pockets. Artists put this as a codicil in your Will.

Teachers are often creating their wish list from Amazon, and art supplies are often key items. After school programs

Is there an organization of art teachers?

 

Local safe houses, shelters will accept donations. Often children are there and come with very little. Shelters for the homeless, homes for abused women and children.... these types of places can be found by contacting your local police or Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

Mental health / substance abuse facilities ... it’s great therapy! Prisons ... juvenile /detention centers. 

 

 

The VA medical centers have art programs for vets, they can use supplies.

 

 

If you keep up with the news, in areas where fires, storms or hurricanes had hit, there should be agencies to donate supplies to artists that suffered loses.

 

Local people maybe teaching art to others & need supplies. Donate to art centers

 

 

 Senior centers. Retirement homes Assisted living facilities. Hospital volunteer centers may have art programs too. Homes for disabled adults maybe appreciate supplies also.

 

 

 Donate the supplies to fundraisers for art - such as an annual art sale to raise funds for scholarships. some donated work for fundraising auctions.

 

 

Art therapists. Many of them work with PTSD vets, abused people, art therapist who serves underserved children through a local community program 

 

 

I’d suggest adding names of counselors or organizations that specialize in helping adults and children recover from trauma/abuse. I know art can help children (especially) express their emotions. Very therapeutic.

 

 

Put an announcement on social media i.e. Facebook asking who could use these materials. There are also some local trading groups on FB where people sell things to their local communities and that could be a way to reach people locally and not need to deal with shipping of supplies.

 

Sales

Having an open house sale for local artists to buy at reduced prices. Portion of the proceeds can go to an art charity.

 

Partner with silent auctions, but do a 50/50 split

 

Sell on eBay or go to local  consignment shops

 

Set up an online account, either Etsy or Facebook. Set up some guidelines and extra items for one family become treasures for another!

I’m in a similar group and books I would’ve sold for $1-3 sell for $5-10 plus S&H! You bring more money to seller, but buyer pays way below market.

 

 

Another artist friend’s husband had help valuing his late wife’s supplies. Prices were written on them and then he contacted local art groups to offer them for sale. Her items sold to people who appreciated them, especially the newbies who didn’t have a big stash and couldn’t afford them otherwise.

 

 

If the artists had been selling her work for a while and had a list of past collectors that might be the best way to get some sales fast. A private VIP sale could be offered to past customers. If you send out a mailing explaining the situation and offers a special sale they might be the most likely to help. These are people who obviously like the artist’s work and may have some relationship with him/her so more likely to buy than the general public. It’s more likely that a past customer will buy again vs find a brand new customer. 

 

 

 

 I have started to give my family paintings and giving total strangers extra supplies.

 

 

I’d suggest adding names of counselors or organizations that specialize in helping adults and children recover from trauma/abuse. I know art can help children (especially) express their emotions. Very therapeutic.

 

 

Professional arts program for students who art in school on grants and loans. If over 5,000 in tools and supplies

 

 

At Camp Twin Lakes, kids with medical and life challenges attending camp love the arts/crafts time! Www.camptwinlakes.org. We also do pottery and woodworking

 

 

In Cincinnati we have TWO art/craft supply recycling stores. Www.indigohippo.org & www.scrapitupcincy.com

 

 

Local middle and high school art teachers could use them. There is also 

Atlanta Art Supply Exchange

.

 

 

I think the Lionheart School in Alpharetta takes material donations for crafts.. You can reach them at thelionheartschool.com. Ask for Mary Ulich or Victoria Potts.

 

 

Feel Beautiful Today in Atlanta works with cancer patients doing art projects. https://www.feelbeautifultoday.org/

 

We have an organization in Chattanooga that helps homeless people connect with the arts. They accept supply donations. I would also contact art guilds and groups to donate the supplies and books..

 

 

Dreaming Zebras: https://dreamingzebra.org/

 

 

GoPaintLove https://www.gopaintlove.org/donate

 

 

https://awbw.org/art-supply-wish-list/

 

 

Atlanta Art http://atlantaart.org/

 Art school that would probably take supplies. Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester, Michigan.

https://www.pccart.org/

 

 

Vietnam Vets. Pick up art https://pickupplease.org/donate-art/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donation/sales of Books

Consider contacting:

 

Local libraries

 

Art associations, art guilds, watercolor societies

 

Local schools, including adult education programs

 

Open house sale to local artists

 

A lot of people have donated to our local Art Center (non-profit). I'm the librarian, so for books, any duplicates we already have gets raffle or sold in fundraisers. $ collected goes towards art education in our area. Many cities have similar Art centers.

 

 

eBay, amazon used book ABE used books

 

After beloved and prolific artist Cam Stoltz passed away, I went to the estate sale hosted by her wonderful family. I acquired almost all of her art books (which I brought with me to modeling assignments. I gave these books to artists in each open studio session or class or workshop. On the inside cover I placed her bio and shared about her legacy. These books are so meaningful. I am not a painter but want to continue to give them to artists (or even an art center who would appreciate/use them). It matters. To keep Cam's memory alive. 

 

 

Perhaps a type of long-term loaning library and school is custodian and dedicate in the name of the artists with their work displayed someplace and have a ceremony

 

Article with tips on donating books: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/20-places-to-donate-used-books/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donation of Art (artists own work)

Consider contacting:

 

Local hospitals, assisted living, nursing homes

 

Donate to local charities for fundraising auctions. Donate to senior and assisted living centers to decorate rooms and common areas

Do your own online auction of your work

Ask local coffee shop if you can create an All for Sale art show and hang your art in the shop.

 

 

Habitat for Humanity

 

On-line art sale for a limited time period, holiday time?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donation of artwork purchased from other artists

Consider contacting:

 

Charity auction

 

Contact original artist to see if they want to reacquire

 

Gallery that carries that artists work

 

Donate to local charities for fundraising auctions.

 

Some asked to have their loved ones art featured in a show.

 

Online art sale

 

Do your own online auction of your work

 

Donate to senior and assisted living centers to decorate rooms and common areas

 

 

 

 

 

Establishing a scholarship

Consider contacting:

 

Local art organizations

 

College art department

 

Places that offer workshops (like Kanuga, Cheap Joes) if they want to establish scholarships for students with limited means.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Award in the artists name

Consider contacting:

 

Art organizations for endowment for award in artists memory for one of their annual juried shows

 

Local art school for an award in a student competition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Foundation

Consider contacting:

 

Contact the Foundation Center on establishing 501 C3

 

Or join forces with an existing arts organization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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