In an effort to "nourish the hungry soul," local artists are creating small pieces of art to be included in emergency food boxes from Project HOPE Food Bank.
"Food for the Soul" is a campaign being led by the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance. The program intends to "offer struggling community members an emotional connection to their neighbors after so many months of separation, as well as an opportunity to help fulfill needs beyond life's most basic nutritional requirements," a news release said.
Mary Zunick, executive director of the HSACA, said the idea started with a conversation with her husband, Robert Zunick, "about the impact that the pandemic has had on the arts community and how so much focus has, rightly ... been assisting those in need with food and the most basic needs."
"Food and shelter are certainly essential needs, but art is needed in our world as well," Zunick said, quoting Pablo Picasso, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
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Noting how difficult COVID-19 has been, she said, "There are people right now that, over the past several months, have needed assistance with groceries, who are picking up groceries, that have never before had to do that, nor never imagined that they would need to do that."
"The need for those services has increased dramatically, and this program is to supply beauty and encouragement in the form of art to those who are in need right now," Zunick said, noting much of the food is going to families.
"It's important for children to grow up with art in their home," she said.
Numerous local artists were asked to participate and, at the moment, are donating their work, she said.
"I wish I had the funds to compensate the artists," she said, noting some of the artists were also impacted by the pandemic and the economic difficulties of the pandemic.
"The arts community relies on the sale of their artwork for their living or as supplement to their income," Zunick said. "Art isn't just a fun hobby, it is their livelihood."
Zunick said she has applied for some grants to hopefully be able to compensate the participating artists.
"With the Cultural Alliance, we try to never ask anyone to donate their artwork because that is their livelihood," she said.
Zunick said the artists are being supplied with canvases.
"I had reached out to a local retailer to ask them to donate the canvases and while that retailer did not donate the canvases, the store manager purchased about 40 canvases and donated them for the project herself," Zunick said.
Local artists confirmed to be participating include Coni Hall, Martha Jane Murray, Gary Simmons, Longhua Xu, Richard Stephens and Corina Fedo, who works in ceramics instead of canvas.
The project is part of Arts & The Park, which also includes Art Springs. Zunick said she intends to reach out to "the artists who are part of Art Springs ... and ask them if they would like to participate."
Zunick said artists who want to participate are welcome, however, the artwork for this campaign must be smaller in size.
"I cannot accommodate nor ask the food pantry to distribute large canvases," she said, noting those given to the artists are either 8-by-8 inches or 8-by-10 inches.
Since they are looking for smaller pieces, Zunick said she didn't think to reach out to ceramic artists or sculptors, but Fedo "reached out to me and asked if she could contribute something."
The artwork pieces will be given to Project HOPE which was "happy to partner with us on it."
The deadline for artwork to be turned in is during Arts & The Park, which begins at the end of the month.
