Posted on 12/30/2004 8:50:39 PM PST by B-Chan
This is a message to my fellow professional (and amateur) artists:
The plight of the people victimzed in the South Asia Tsunami Disaster has touched the world. We all want to help them, but, besides donating as much as we can to the various relief agencies involved in the global aid effort, what can any of us really do? As artists, it’s our duty to use the abilities God has given us to help our fellow men, but how can art help people who need food, water, medicine, clothes, and hope?
I think I may have discovered a way. While there’s no direct role we artists can play in the relief effort, we can contribute in the same way artists contributed to the war effort during World War II — by lending our talents to the task of fundraising. To be specific, we can design attractive and effective posters to remind people that their donations are desperately needed foor disaster relief, and to keep reminding them of this fact for as long as the need is necessary.
To this end, I'm thinking about setting up a website for artists to contribute art for posters to benefit tsunami relief. The theme for the posters would be “Their Sorrow — Our Duty: GIVE [to the relief agency of the artist’s choice]” The campaign would work this way: participating artists would donate (1) a digital file of a poster design using this theme and (2) universal permission to reproduce the poster free of charge for purposes of charitable fundraising by nonprofit corporations or other groups. Unlike the World War II poster campaigns, no Office of War Information or other government agency would be needed to coordinate the campaign; all the designs would be available on the website for anyone to download, print out, and post at their own expense. (The posters would also be available for use online, again by free download. ) Such posters could be placed in churches, schools, gyms, libraries, senior centers, and other places, used for billboards — whatever. The idea is to keep people donating long after the initial burst of concern — it's going to take a long time to put South Asia back together again, and the needs of those victimized by the earthquake and tsunamis aren’t going to dry up just because the TV news cycle moves on to other things. The posters will be there to remind folks that people are still in need, no matter what the top story on CNN might be six months from now.
For my part, I would host the site and donate the bandwidth to make the effort possible, as well as handle all the editorial and administrative chores.
Thanks.
Where's those j---offs like Springsteen?
Yeah.. Him and that U2 guy, what's his name..
They could organize a benefit concert...
Call it.. "Band Aid for my Phi-Phi" or something..
I'm no artist, but maybe at some point the people and kids can use art as therapy. I'm reminded of some of the kid's drawings after 9/11. On the news they showed a bunch of people up on a hill too afraid to go back down.
No talking, just vacant stares - men, women and children. These folks will need lots of help in so many ways.
This is a good idea. Since I'm in a band maybe I could organize something in my area with local bands to donate to a fund. Something I haven't thought of at this time until I read your article.
Thanks! I will look into this tomorrow.
Your idea of making a musical contribution is a good one. The concept of pop and rock musicians performing benefits to raise money for (and awareness of) disasters in S. Asia is not without precedent (e.g. the concert for Bangladesh during the '70s). I'm sure the local bands in the area would be enthusiastic about the idea — just get the musicians and sound guys to donate their labor, hire a hall (or find a venue that will donate performance space, crew and electricity), advertise on local radio (they'll probably promo the show for free once you explain that it's for charity), and the deed is done. All proceeds less unavoidable expenses go to tsunami relief. The musicians get invaluable free publicity, hurting people get help, everybody wins. (You could even record the concert and press some CDs of the show for sale — again, proceeds less expenses go to relief. Concert T-shirt sales could also be used to raise money. The list goes on and on.)
Let me know if you get something going!
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