Art Gives for me…
By Donna Waldman, Nonprofit Executive and Global Storyteller
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Art Gives community, and to reflect on my work as a writer and organizer over more than four decades. I hope to capture in words the thread that links my life with my choice to become a founding member of Art Gives today.
Growing up in a small town outside of Philadelphia in the 1950’s, there’s no way I could have imagined where my life journey would take me. I could have never envisioned all of the marvelous opportunities that have c3ome my way. From an early age, I was always open to new ideas and adventures. I adopted a counter-cultural identity as soon as I understood that I could. Entering university in 1969, I became a passionate member of a new generation of trailblazers determined to make the world better. I hope to think I’m that same person today.
Throughout my life I have always been a writer, never wasting a moment to get things down with words. I finished my first novel at 14. In my early 20’s I became a social studies teacher and soon headed to Ecuador, where I stayed for six years. During that magical time, I become fluent in a new language which opened up my mind in a way I cannot fairly explain. I wrote some Ecuadorian history books. I saw exquisite and breathtaking landscapes in dozens of far-off places, and I met hundreds of people with lives vastly different from mine. My life was enriched with other cultures and new people. Nothing would ever be exactly the same again.
After more than 50 years working as a teacher, counselor, accessory brand owner, non-profit executive and now Art Gives co-founder, I’ve witnessed firsthand how art impacts and is interwoven in all aspects of life. And throughout, I’ve learned to capture the unimaginable in words that rarely are able to adequately express its wonder!
(Image of my daily inspiration from my home in Sebastopol, California.)
During the past 17 years, I’ve worked as an Executive Director of a free healthcare clinic. I’ve seen firsthand the power individuals can have, and how they can make lasting change through their good works. I’ve cherished the hours I’ve had working to make the world a better place.
And now with Art Gives, I see an opportunity to further expand my passion to make things better in this world of ours, this time through an intentional effort to link art with philanthropy.
As part of the efforts to fundraise for our free clinic, we created a juried show where artists get to exhibit their art then and share the proceeds 50-50 with our organization. This has become a very successful event that brings in more than $100,000 each year, while promoting local artists. Inspired by the success of this event, we came together to form Art Gives. As founders we are seeking out ways to strengthen the synergy between the art world and philanthropy, harnessing their collective power to maximize the resources of each.
Our Art Gives founding group draws together diverse strengths and interests. We trust that together we can create a global brand that weaves art with philanthropy, providing cause marketing opportunities to artists and art gallerists while providing much needed financial support to non-profit organizations globally. All the while promoting art! This new project is, for me, a golden opportunity to support meaningful causes and continue creating my art through the written word. I’m delighted to have yet another inspiring project to dig my teeth into, and hope that many of you will see the natural power of our Art Gives brand and endorse our work.
