By: Corinne Wittig and Emma Spoo
Art cannot be simply described. In fact, there’s a number of different forms of art. Some are obvious, like portraits or sculptures. Others do not appear to be as evident, for instance writing or dance. With that, artists create art for a variety of reasons. Some artists chose to keep these reasons hidden, while other chose to do the opposite. The artists listed below love to create art and love to give back to the community. By centering their focus on raising awareness for particular issues, these artists (along with a number of others) are able to make a difference.
Adrian Steirn is both a photographer and film maker who creates art for a bigger cause. This particular artist works to promote wildlife conservation and humanitarian awareness in the country of Africa. According to adriansteirn.com, Steirn believes telling a story is a large component in producing notable photography.
“A good photograph is one that tells a story. Adrian Steirn is driven by this belief. It’s an ethos that has enabled him to use photography and filmmaking as a means to generate meaningful change – by using narrative to inspire action in others.”
In addition to creating work that inspires others, Steirn is the creator of a variety of influential projects. For instance, he is the founder of Gingko Agency, a creative content company whose home is in Cape Town, South Africa. Additionally, Steirn founded the 21 Icons project, a collection of films and photographs centered on individuals who have drastically changed the world around them for the greater good. While working on this project, Steirn had the opportunity to work with icons such as, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. For more information on this artist visit, http://www.adriansteirn.com
[metaslider id=4558]Drew Hanlon is not your average 10 year-old boy, but a philanthropist and an artist. Hanlon creates and sells comic books to donate to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. With a $50 donation, Hanlon gives the donor one of his comics as well. The light, hearted comedic comic series is titled, “Edwin” and was put into motion in January of this year. Since then, Hanlon has raised close to $600. For more information or if you would like to donate please visit: http://www.gofundme.com/DrewHanlon
Art professor, John Sabraw was inspired to create his recent work after taking a trip to the southern part of Ohio. After seeing a variety of streams and rivers affected by the acid runoff from the area’s coal mines, Sabraw created his gallery titled, “Toxic Art”. According to cbsnews.com, Sabraw saw this as an opportunity to make a difference in a creative way.
“An environmentalist as well as an artist, Sabraw was fascinated by the streams’ colors and wanted to figure out a way to remediate (clean) the streams and do something with the leftover toxic sludge. Knowing that the toxic waste was made out of iron oxide, which imbues paints with vibrant colors, he decided use it to make his own paint, which he could then use to create his paintings.”
As a result, Sabraw has created an eccentric and one of kind paintings that have helped him shed light on environmental issues. For more information, see http://www.johnsabraw.com
From Spokane Washington, Anthony Stevenson sells his artwork for a very low price. The acrylic painter gives away his paintings for those donate food. Stevenson then brings the donations to local organizations including the Martin Lither King Community Center, Volunteers of America, and Healthcare for Homeless Veterans. At one point, this artist was homeless and local organizations helped him get back on his feet. By creating his art work, Stevenson is able to give back to those organizations. For more information visit: http://www.krem.com/story/news/local/spokane-county/2015/02/05/spokane-artist-gives-back-by-giving-away-art/22902787/
Illinois native, Langston Allston was always painting as a child. Now, at 23-years old this urban artist uses his natural talent to bring interest to social causes and towns in need. For instance, a number of his relatively recent murals reflect on the troubles and riots in Ferguson, Illinois. According to langstonallston.com, Allston will continue to visit a multitude of cities in hopes of evolving his work. “In balancing the ideas present in his personal work- and the needs of towns like Rantoul, East St. Louis and Decatur his work has developed and changed dramatically. Over the course of the next year he will continue to travel, and build upon the layers of ideas and experiences of the communities that host him.”
