What if a young child never felt this inspiration? Would you do something to help?
More often than not, artists and creatives are the mediators of our inspiration, with reach that spans cultures, nationalities, and generations. Art inspires us to great things. Albert Einstein attributed his insight to the mathematical inspiration of music. One of the inventors of the earliest concepts of what would become Computer Science was deeply inspired by the structured beauty of poetry. Inocente, a young woman and visual art prodigy, became the subject of an Academy Award nominated documentary that now inspires future generations of artists. And this, with Inocente, and many like her, suffering through a childhood overshadowed by the challenges of growing up homeless. Her story, and many like it, underscore the power of art and inspiration, and how they can bloom in the most unlikely circumstances.
Not all children are afforded an opportunity to experience art, either as a creator or in appreciation of the mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits it provides. It is an unfortunate fact that many children go without access to this inspiration. In the best cases, children in public schools find limited art programs on dwindling budgets. In the worst cases, they experience ongoing exposure to lack of shelter and basic necessities, violence, neglect, faltering health of parents, sexual assault and stress as at-risk children. Recent estimates by the San Diego County Office of Education place 20,000 homeless children in San Diego County. And as we can see from the example of Inocente's sublime determination, our communities will suffer from a generational loss of artistic inspiration if this pool of at-risk children is neglected.
The Kevin Workman Foundation Educational Outreach Program seeks to find and inspire the next generation of artists, focusing on the fields of popular arts, videography, photography, game design, writing, and social media that most deeply engage today's youth. We serve underprivileged, homeless, and at-risk children, so that no young man or woman misses their opportunity to create or be inspired by art. We've partnered with a mix of charter and public schools in the San Diego area for access to the widest cross section of motivated yet under-engaged future artists.
The KWF has launched a fundraiser to help bring art instruction to children in need. Instruction will be provided at the Lil' Fish Comic Studio, a San Diego art school featured on our local KPBS public news station and exhibitor at San Diego Comic Con. Your donation will go towards the child's participation in the course, art supplies, and assistance with transportation to and from the studio. Children that show interest and aptitude will be re-enrolled for multiple courses to form a syllabus covering the art, craft, and professional aspects of modern comic book and graphic novel production. Your donations will enable each child to pursue their artistic vision, whether it's as a career or as an inspired fan.
Every dollar has an immense impact on the life of a child who could be the next next breakthrough scientist, engineer, entrepreneur, teacher, or artist of tomorrow. Please give, and be inspired.